


Pyjak

by AMLKoko



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: A shepard sibling survives Mindoir, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Follows along canon timeline, Mindoir (Mass Effect), Raised like a krogan and by a krogan, Shepard Siblings (Mass Effect), Wrex makes a pretty awesome dad, just the sibling is AU, mercenary start to a Shepard sibling, will be more mature later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:35:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 84,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMLKoko/pseuds/AMLKoko
Summary: Wrex never thought he would be a parent but when he finds a little human inside the vents of a Batarian slave ship he decides to give it a go. He raises her up, not knowing the little female he named Pyjak is actually the only other survivor to the attack on Mindoir, the other one? Her older brother John.Pyjak doesn't care to know where she came from. She has her pops and as long as the credits come in, she will do whatever job she needs to help keep them afloat. So when Wrex drags her along onto a Spectre ship to search for that creepy asshole Saren who hired her pops, she goes with the flow, like she has always done. Except things aren't quite what they seem and it has nothing to do with the human female raised like a krogan who has set her eyes on the only turian on the ship.Pyjak might just find out where she came from and it might change the course of her life as she knows it. Or she will do as krogan's do and headbutt the problem away.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Comments: 128
Kudos: 112
Collections: Mass Effect





	1. Of Little Things in Small Places

**Author's Note:**

> This story will follow along the main story line from the mass effect games. Very little change to the over all plot and the first few chapters will be Wrex being a dad cause that is fucking adorable.

Urdnot Wrex was not a patient krogan on the most of days and today was just getting worse and worse. “Fucking slavers.” He look at the cargo bay his team had just finished clearing. It had been a Batarian slave ship that he had been tasked with clearing. They had taken the wrong person and someone had paid him and a few others to retrieve them and kill the slavers. Which hadn’t worked out the way it should have. Once the slavers realized what was going on, they spaced their cargo. Fifty people had been tossed out the airlock, the wanted person included.

“Not much we can do now. I say we just rig it to blow and leave.” The human male he had been working with shifted on his feet and Wrex gave an unfriendly sneer before spitting on the metal decking. The fact the batarians had spaced the cargo meant their payment wasn’t going to happen and it irritated him, his patience was wearing thin. It had been a major waste of his time and he needed something out of the entire mess.

“Can’t blow it. Sure there is a bounty on the ship. You and the others can leave if you want, I’ll limp it back to the Citadel.” He gestured to the door with his shotgun and the human shrugged, clearly not as concerned about payment as Wrex was, it was irritating and he resisted the urge to shoot him in the back as he left. “Useless human.” He spat on the floor once more and shook his head. The ship would be worth a couple thousand credits at least. Not as good as the payment for the wanted party would have been but it would take the sting out of the loss at least.

He growled and headed towards the cockpit, he would get the ship powered up and then taken back to the Citadel. He didn’t care for dealing with C-sec but a bounty would be a bounty. If not he could always sell it and recoup some of the loss that way.

He made it halfway to the cockpit when a screech emerged from the vent nearest him so loudly he jumped with a snarl, jerking his shotgun around to see what creature was coming for him. His shotgun trained on the vent and he growled, slowly moving towards the tiny crawl space. He jerked down but there was nothing and the screeching stopped abruptly.

He looked into the vent carefully, searching but he could see nothing. He stood back up and took several steps before there was another screech from the vent. He whirled around and bent down, catching sight of a fluttering of clothing as the screech stopped and the squeak of skin against vent. There was something in the vent ducts. He snarled and grabbed onto the opening and yanked it out of the wall. “Get out of there!” He tossed the vent covering to the side but there was no other sounds emerging. He snarled again. “I said out!” When there was no response he banged his fist against the venting itself, the clang loud and jarring.

There was no response and Wrex snarled and stalked away from the vent and back towards the cockpit. He needed to get the ship started again. The screeching started as soon as he walked away and despite how he tensed, he ignored the sound and made his way to the cockpit. The screeching seemed to follow him and it was grating to him but he did his best to ignore it as he quickly fired up the engines and the command center in front of him. The engines rumbled to life but even that didn’t stop the screeching that was carrying through the vents.  
He gritted his teeth, this was going to be a rough ride out of batarian space if that thing was going to continue on like it was.

~~~~

The little creature kept screeching, he knew it was a creature and he knew it was little. Nothing else could fit inside of the venting like it did. It had to be small, however it was making a highly unpleasant sound and it echoed through the vents. It was almost enough to make Wrex want to vent the entire ship just to get it to stop. The little thing hid in the vents and the moment he stopped trying to find it, it would start screeching. If he hadn’t been so goddamned irritated by the sound he would have appreciated just how smart the little bugger was to continually and randomly make noise at random times so he could never get used to it. He knew that if it bothered him then it must have drove the batarians absolutely crazy.

He grunted as he tossed a levo-ration bar into the vent. “Eat something.” He figured if the little creature was eating, it would stop making that awful screeching, at least for a bit. He moved away, tossing back his own ration bar as he went to check the count down on the autopilot for when they would hit the relay that would bounce them to the Citadel. “We have less than half an hour to the jump.” He spoke loudly and he didn’t really understand why he started talking to the little creature as if it could understand him but it passed the time and made the large ship seem less empty.  
“Let me know if you want another ration bar. We’ve got enough to last until the Citadel.” He moved back to where the vent opening was and grinned when he noticed the ration bar was gone. “Good little pyjak.” He tossed another one in just to be sure, grateful that the screeching was gone at least.  
~~~~~

They docked at the Citadel and the little creature had screeched non-stop and Wrex’s patience was wearing thin. It was time to toss the ship off to C-sec anyway. There was a six thousand credit bounty on it and he wasn’t going to turn that down. “Damn little pyjak.” Wrex crouched down beside the open vent. “Best come out now. Tossing this scrap heap to C-Sec, they don’t take kindly to vent rats.” He waited patiently. His hours of talking to the little creature had gained him a little trust from it, at least he figured it did. When he was talking, it had stopped screeching.

“I think it’s best you come out now.” He growled the words out and watched with his eyes narrowed slightly as slowly but surely a tiny figure peeked around the corner. “Unless you want to be tossed in the protein vents.” He stared at the little, filthy creature that was staring right back at him with just as much animosity and mistrust as he expected for someone who had been captured by Batarians. “I ain’t aiming to hurt you. Just wanting to get you out of here.” He crooked his fingers and there was a faint scrapping sound as the little kid scooted closer, but stayed well out of his reach.

“Let’s make a deal. You come out of there and come here and I will let you hold my shotgun.” He pulled it off of the mag-lock and waved the heavy weapon. Little eyes lit up and the filthy little pyjak scurried out of the vent. Wrex realized the little creature was female and human and that she was tiny. She barely came up to his knee but she held out her hands expectantly. “Don’t shoot yourself.” He set the weapon into her tiny hands with a chuckle as she nearly tilted over, the weight almost too much for her. She grunted as she fell to her butt and he stared at her.

She was just so tiny. “What’s your name, little pyjak?” She threw him a look but patted the gun with apparent glee. He grabbed it out of her hands and she made a noise of protest. “Name, pyjak.”

“Pyjak?” She tilted her head as she said it and Wrex laughed loudly.

“Yah. Pyjak. Little monkeys that screech and are useless.” He grinned, she was a filthy little thing and she really did look like a hairless little pyjak. “Your name is what though?”

“Pyjak.” She grinned up at him and Wrex laughed again before standing up, putting the shotgun back on the mag-lock on his lower back.  
“Fine by me.” It was easier for him if she insisted on that as her name. He certainly wouldn’t forget it. Little hands grasped one of his and Wrex made a face and looked down at the little creature before holding her hands tightly. He lifted her up and off the ground, dangling her at face level. “I’m not a tree, Pyjak.” She giggled and kicked her little legs at his face and he let out a bellowing laugh at her spirit. “You’ve got spirit, Pyjak. Here.” He lifted her higher, so that she could grasp his hump before he started walking through the ship.

She let go of his hand and he felt her settle, laying across his hump before little fists drummed against the tip of his face plate. “Keep that up and I’ll head butt you, you little pyjak!” He swatted at her hands and she giggled again but stopped drumming, settling for grasping the edges of his forehead plate and holding on, her little knees knocking against his hump.

“Pyjak!” She said it happily and Wrex grinned as he walked out the airlock.

“Dirty little monkey!” At the growled words she screeched happily and kicked at his hump. “Feisty little thing. Could turn you into a fine krogan!”

“Kogan!” She did her best to imitate his growl and Wrex laughed again.

“Fiercest species in the galaxy, little pyjak. I can teach you what you need to know.” He hadn’t had kids of his own and if the little pink pyjak wanted to learn the ins and outs of head butting he wouldn’t tell her no. She was already resourceful and hell, he had a soft spot for little creatures.

C-sec officers were waiting outside of the airlock and one raised his hand. Human, looked wet behind the ears. “Hey-”

“Take the ship. It’s open.” Wrex tossed his head back towards the ship. “Transfer me the credits too.” He started marching towards his own shuttle.

“Not that, the kid.” The c-sec officer gesture towards where little Pyjak was flopped over his hump. “What do you think you are-”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Wrex barred his teeth at the human.

“The kid!”

“Ain’t nothing but a vent rat.” Or would be if he didn’t let her tag along, all two feet of the short little creature draped across his hump.

“Pyjak!” The little human screeched it and Wrex grunted out a laugh.

“A little pyjak.” He reached up and patted the little hands holding onto the edge of his forehead plate before glowering at the c-sec officer. “You gunna take care of it? Gunna raise it up? I don’t think so.” He shook his head slightly. They wouldn’t do anything for the filthy little creature. Let it run around the Citadel and die more than likely.

“But-”

“Leave it, Bailey. All it will be is a vent rat, he’s right. Probably safer with him anyway.” The turian officer gestured the human away and he looked like he wanted to argue but seemed to give in and Wrex grunted before continuing to head to his shuttle. “We will transfer the credits to you as soon as we ensure the ship is the correct one.”

“Good.” He snarled the word and continued to stalk towards his shuttle. “You hungry little pyjak?” He grunted the words out and the little female kicked at him again, scrapping her little fingernails across his forehead plate. He laughed, “I bet!” He had some rations left in the shuttle and with the bounty on the ship he had the ability to buy some more and perhaps a nice little patchwork of armour for the little pyjak now hanging off of him.

He could make it work. It would be worth it to see what the little fucker would grow into. He reached his shuttle, opening it up using his omni-tool. He stepped into the dark interior before reaching up and pulling the little pyjak off of his hump, ignoring the noise of protest she gave. He moved further into it before he set her down in his bed, grabbing a box of ration bars from the cabinet just outside of his tiny bedroom. He tossed them onto the bed beside her and laughed when she tore into the box with savage glee.

“Make you a good little krogan yet.” She had the fight for it, he could see that much. She looked up at him, her cheeks full of ration bar before she held up one for him. He laughed again. “Krograns don’t share, pyjak.” He took it anyway, feeling a curious warmth in his chest as he watched her. “I’ll teach you right.” He moved towards the cockpit and fired up the shuttle, opening up his omni-tool as the engines sputtered to life. He watched the amount in his bank account as he went to the tiny kitchen and grabbed a bottle of ryncol from one of the higher cabinets, cracking the top open.

“Kogan?” At the tiny question he took a swig of the alcohol and looked over his shoulder to where the little pyjak was rubbing her eyes, crumbs of ration bar sticking to her chubby cheeks.

“What?” He set the bottle at his tiny table and looked her over as she came over, opening and closing her hands at him. He figured that was pretty much universal for ‘pick me up’ and he did so. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck as much as she could before settling in close, tucking her tiny face underneath his chin and next to where his shoulder armor rested.

He frowned as he shuffled his arms around until he was able to hold her comfortably with one arm. “Silly pyjak.” He muttered the words out and it only caused her to tighten her little arms around his neck, pressing her face closer to him. Wrex let out a rumbling sigh and gave a silent curse as to just how quickly the little creature was melting him.

“Need to turn you into a proper krogan.” He muttered the words out and glanced at his omni-tool screen, grinning when he noticed the credits transferred into his account. “So let’s go to Omega.” He could find her appropriate shit there. He wasn’t one for raising kids but he knew someone on Omega could outfit her properly. Humans were too squishy and Wrex needed to get her some plating so she could keep up with him.

He replaced the lid on his ryncol bottle carefully as he slowly walked into the cockpit and sitting down in the pilot’s chair, doing his best to not jostle his new ward. He knew she was sleeping and he grinned a little that the little beast trusted him that much.

Holding her he tried to remember why he didn’t have kids because she was pretty fucking cute. At least for a human.


	2. Of Proud Krogans and Sharp Shooting

**Three years later**  
~~~  
With a sharp shot, the tin can sitting on the rusted out railing, pinged away. “I hit it!” Her voice held barely contained excitement and Wrex nodded before ruffling her red hair with a laugh.

“Look at that! Shooting pretty good, Pyjak!” He looked at her as she grinned up at him and affectionately head butted his arm. “Ahahhh, don’t be trying to start that. I’ll break your skull!” He growled at her and she laughed at him, baring her little blunt teeth. “Hit the rest.” He gestured to the rest of the cans and with great intent she set her feet and started to ping them off. She missed a few shots but she was pretty close.

Wrex couldn’t believe that she had been with him for three years. It made him feel old, well older than he was. Doctors figured she was between seven and eight. It was why he got her a gun. It was an old pistol but she had been excited. She was old enough to learn how to shoot and he would be damned if his ward didn’t know how to sight down a gun and pull the trigger.

“Pretty good for your second crack at it. Learn any quicker and you’ll put your old man out of a job.” Wrex lightly shoved her arm and she stumbled but clutched her gun to her chest but grinned at him proudly. The smile damn near melted him. That was his girl, happy shooting things and making her old man proud. “You’ll get the hang of it. Now go set some more up and keep practicing.” He held out his hand for the pistol and she hastily set it into his palm before skipping to the rusted railing with a laugh. Her overalls were filthy and her face smeared with dirt and grease but Wrex didn’t put much stock in constantly cleaning and he figured it was healthy for her to be rolling around in the dirt.

“Don’t make me fall asleep here.” He bellowed it out as she took her time setting up various objects along the railing.

“I would beat you awake, pops!” At the happy little chirp he laughed. Such a feisty and vicious little pyjak she was turning out to be. He couldn’t be more proud.

He hadn’t really known what he was getting into when he had impulsively decided to take her on but he didn’t regret it. She was a feisty little beast and he was proud of her. She was stubborn, as a krogan should be, she fought and fought dirty, as a krogan should. She was turning out to be a proper krogan and he couldn’t help the warm and proud smile he had as she skipped towards him, grubby little hands reaching for her pistol. He handed it to her and watched as she aimed down the sights and pinged off the targets she set up, only missing one this time.

“Keep shooting like that and I will start making you get your own credits.” At the words she wrinkled her nose at him, sticking her tongue out. He laughed before taking her pistol and lifting her up and over his head. She shifted with practised ease to lay across his hump, her hands, much bigger than they had been the first time, grasped his face plate.

“Thanks, pops. I love you.” She said it softly and Wrex grunted, trying hard to ignore the little lump in his throat. That was his girl. He was a dangerous mercenary, a real asshole at times, rough to the world around him, and yet he was doing something right with her.

“Proud of your shooting, Pyjak.” He reached up and patted her arm and she let out a happy sigh and wiggled slightly as he started walking through the streets of Omega to head back to that little apartment he had won in a game of quasar. She had needed a home and the shuttle just wasn’t enough.

He figured he was doing a better job at father than his own, he wasn’t going to attempt to kill her at least. He chuckled at the thought. If it ever came to that, he would make sure that she knew each and every one of his weak spots and how to drop a charging krogan. He would make sure that if it ever came to that, that she would be the one walking away, just like he had.

He lumbered back to their apartment, glowering and growling at anyone who attempted to get too close. No one really tried anything, not anymore at least. Wrex had made it clear over the years that if anyone bothered him and his little ward that they would get a shotgun blast to the face. They even knew enough about what Pyjak looked like to steer clear of her when she was out on the streets by herself. Not that Wrex had her out alone really ever but if he was buying some grub and she wandered the market, people knew not to touch. Even the vorcha refused to come close to her. Wrex grinned in remembrance of how easy that lesson had been to teach. He only had to step on one's head and pop it like a soft fruit when he had grabbed at Pyjak and the rest of the vorcha kept a wide berth from then on.

However Wrex knew to never let down his guard. Pyjak was his ward and he was responsible for her and he knew it would be a cold day in the human Hell that something happened to her on his watch. He was jsut glad he had her and she hadn't been left to C-Sec and become a vent rat. She was so much more than that. She sighed on his back and he grunted slightly as they made their way through the market street.

"Can we get some of those chocolate levo bars again?" She asked the question quietly and Wrex paused before nodding with a grunt. She had shot well and she deserved the treat. He didn't much care for human chocolate flavouring but she liked it and she had done well. She deserved it.

"Shoot even better next time and we can get some real fucking chocolate and not just levo bar bullshit." He tilted his head to glance up at her through the corner of his eye and she grinned at him, her little legs kicking his hump in excitement.

"Really, pops?" She grinned at him and he grunted with another nod as he made his way to the food section of the markets. He didn't mind spoiling her a little bit. Their credit stash could always handle getting her a favoured treat now and then. Not that he would ever let anyone know that he liked spoiling her rotten. He was a shit talking, name taking, brutal ass mercenary and if anyone tried to tell him he was soft towards her, he would blow some faces off. He could be soft towards her all he wanted but if someone dared to point it out? There was a problem.

"Wrex." The turian running the food kiosk nodded at him, glancing up to where Pyjak was draped across his hump, grasping the edge of his face plate. "Pyjak." Wrex sneered at the bird and Pyjak let out a little chirp.

"Birdie! Pops got me a pistol and I'm shooting good!" She wiggled and Wrex half reached up to ensure if she wiggle too far she wouldn't slid off. It had happened a time or too and he honestly didn't like the crying end result. Humans were so squishy and easy to break.

The turian gave him a look and Wrex glowered at him with a grunt. "She's a good shot. Needs to learn." There was no way he was keeping her on Omega or in his life without her learning how to point a gun and shoot. The turian could shove it up his cloaca for all he cared. Krogans were always battle ready and he would make damn sure Pyjak was as well. "Want the chocolate levo bars." He tossed a credit chit onto the dirty counter and with one more judgemental look the turian moved back and grabbed the wanted box and set it down.

"Don't eat those all at once, Pyjak. You will get an upset stomach." At the faint warning Wrex gave another sneer as he snatched the box off the counter.

"Shut it, Birdie." No damned bird faced turian was gunna tell his little girl what to do. He held the box up for Pyjak and she took it with a happy chirp and a quick thank you as he once again headed for their apartment.

"Can I eat them all?" She asked it, her tone hopeful and Wrex laughed.

"You gotta learn your limits. Eat as much as you want, if you eat too much that will teach you for next time." Some lessons needed to be learned but he watched how she could eat food and he doubted the box of levo bars would make her guts hurt. She could eat the street food for fuck's sake, her insides were probably as iron laced as his were. "Krogan don't listen to-"

"Krogan don't listen to birds!" She roared it out, causing some people to glance over at them. Wrex growled at them in warning and eyes were quickly averted as Pyjak laughed loudly. "Damn birds!" She wiggled on his back again and a small silence fell before she let out a small sigh. "Why don't we listen to birds?" Curiosity was thick in the question and Wrex let out a booming laugh.

"Cause all they do is squawk! Their words don't mean shit. They play all high and mighty and then release the genophage on you. Liars, all of them!" He gestured out with his arm and Pyjak made a small noise of acceptance to the answer.

"Can we go shooting more today?" At the question Wrex pounding his fists together in pride and excitement.

"We can go as much as you fuckin' like, Pyjak!" That was his girl! Itching to learn how to shoot.

Man, he was doing fucking alright with her.


	3. Of Odd Jobs and Headbutting Birds

**Seven years later**  
~~~~

“This is the Citadel?” Pyjak wrinkled her nose and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Looks pathetic.”

“Yah. The wards at least. Don’t draw attention to yourself, Pyjak. People down here shoot first and ask later.” He grasped her head when he noticed she wasn’t paying attention. He crouched down and gave her a warning tap of a head butt, bringing her attention back to him. “Stay. On. Me.” He growled each word out and held eye contact until she nodded. She was a crack shot and could scrap like no one’s business but she wasn’t used to the wards. Wrex, as much as he had done his best to ensure the fourteen year old to be able to protect herself, didn’t want anything to happen to her.

Wrex stalked through the crowds at the docks and then towards Chora’s Den. He needed a job and he knew Chora’s would have the calibre of people who would hire him. He and Pyjak needed credits to keep eating and he knew someone would be willing to hire him. The guard at the door barely glanced at him before waving him through. He couldn’t feel it but knew Pyjak was pressing her small hand against his back, staying nearly behind him. He appreciated that she took direction and never used her famously grown stubborness with him. Any krogan worth their salt needed to be stubborn but when it came to her safety he was glad she listened.

“Need a job.” He growled the words to the bartender and she waved him off towards a seedy corner where a board was set up and several groups were watching a few asari dance. He snorted in amusement before heading for the board. Nothing really caught his eye but he picked off a few lower bounties. They only paid a couple thousand credits total and would take time but if he didn’t have anything else, they would do.

“-so we are looking to recruit some heavy bastards to make sure the job goes smoothly.” The words filtered through the sounds of the club and Wrex tilted his head, his eyes sweeping over the groups to find the speaker. “We are paying four thousand credits to each person who goes and makes it back alive with the package.” He spotted a turian speaking with a human and walked over quickly.

“Looking for muscle?” He growled it out and the turian’s dual toned voice hummed slightly.

“Perhaps.” He crossed his arms over his chest and Wrex looked him up and down.

The human followed suit, looking him up and down as he crossed his arms over his own chest. “Pay is good but the job is out in the terminus systems.”

“Don’t care.” He and Pyjak had been out in that back end of the galaxy a fair few times on different jobs. They were equipped to handle it, not to mention that until she was twelve, they had their little apartment there. Had to leave after the gangs were getting too rough for his taste but they could handle the terminus systems with no difficulty.

“Four thousand when the job is finished, don’t get paid if you are dead.” The turian said it and Wrex grunted. Four thousand was a good sum and he wasn’t picky. It would be enough to maybe get Pyjak a better set of armour. She was growing too damned fast and was too big for her old set. They made due but Wrex knew it would make him feel better to have her in properly fitting armour. She would grow out of that set too but he didn’t care, her safety came first.

“Sounds good.” He would take the damned job and then he and Pyjak could relax for a bit. He liked that, she needed some more lessons in fighting and they needed time for that. With the big sum they could spend some time doing that. He turned and walked away.

“Wait!” At the voice he growled and turned around, Pyjak moving with him to not get knocked over by his tail. The human tilted his head. “I’ll give you six thousand credits, right here, right now.” His eyes landed on Pyjak. “If you give me the little red head.” The words were barely out of his mouth before Wrex had his gun shoved in his face with a snarl.

“You keep that pretty mouth of yours shut if you know what is good for you, human.” He shoved his shotgun barrel further into the guy’s face, the metal clinking off his teeth. “Talk like that again and you will be choking on your own teeth.” He growled the words out, ignoring the various guns pointed at him.

“Let me go!” At the angry shout Wrex turned his head to watch as Pyjak pulled her head back and smashed her forehead into the turian’s face. He howled, letting her go as he clutched his nose as Pyjax pulled out her little pistol he let her carry into the Citadel. “Touch me again and I’ll blow your brains out! Fucking bird brain!” She pressed her gun to his head and spat on the floor. Wrex was incredibly proud of her for that. Such a fierce little krogan she was.

Guns moved to land on Pyjak and Wrex snarled at that. “None of you bastards touch her or you will be cleaning his brains off the floor.” Wrex growled it out as he shoved the gun further into the human’s face. The group looked torn and Wrex growled low, his eyes on the turian who was still clutching his face.

“Fucking listen to him. Little bitch headbutts hard. What the fuck?” His voice pitched upwards and without warning Pyjak kicked him in groin plates with a shout. That dropped the turian to the ground with a choked sound of pain and Wrex laughed before headbutting the human so hard he dropped like a sack of concrete.

He walked over to where his girl thrust her chin out. “No one calls me a bitch.” She spat on the turian and Wrex grabbed her by the top of her head, moving her effortlessly to move behind him and out of range of the guns. It was only effortless because he had trained we well, when he grabbed her head, she moved the way he needed her to. It was safer that way.

“We are gunna leave and none of you bastards are gunna follow us. If I catch sight of that pervert, I’ll gut him.” He gestured to the human who was sprawled out cold and the other slowly holstered their guns, moving to helps what Wrex assumed to be their bosses. He shuffled around, keeping himself between the group and Pyjak. It would take more than a dozen shots to go through him to reach her and it was safer.

“Sorry, pops.” She whispered the words as they made it out of Chora’s without incident and Wrex laughed, ruffling her hair.

“Never apologize for protecting yourself, Pyjak. You nailed him good, twice. I’m proud.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and heaved her upwards. She was getting bigger but she was still able to smoothly transition to laying across his hump.

She grasped his face plate with her hands and sighed. “Will you really kill him if you-”

“Yes. No one treats my girl like that and gets a second chance.” Wrex pounded his fists together at the thought. He should have blow his brains out but the Citadel had different rules than the rest of the galaxy, he couldn’t just blow the guy’s brains out in the middle of the bar. That was more back alley shit.

“Thanks, pops. For protecting me.” He felt her shift on his hump and he looked upwards as she dropped a kiss to his face plate with a soft smile. “You’re the best dad ever.” She grinned down at him and Wrex felt his neck grow a bit heated as his heart melted.

“Get me a t-shirt if you are so proud of me.” He muttered the words out, trying hard to work around the lump in his throat.

That was _his_ girl and fuck if he wasn’t doing _something_ right.


	4. Of Merc Bounties and Guns

**Two years later**

“Toss me it!” Pyjak’s voice was bellowing and Wrex didn’t even think twice as he tossed the shotgun towards her. He headbutted the human charging at him, feeling the guy’s skull crack at the blow and glanced out the corner of his eye as Pyjak reached up, snagging the shotgun from the air before turning around and unloading it into a batarian’s face. The guy’s shields were down and his face exploded spectacularly. Without a flinch she swung the shotgun at a charging talon merc and shot him as well, knocking him off his feet.

“That’s my girl!” Wrex laughed as he grabbed the downed human and tossed him at the talon merc that was trying to get back up. Using the distraction Pyjak quickly ran over and unloaded two shells into his face, the first removing what was left of his shields and the second to take him out of commission permanently.

“How many more?” She called it out as she bent down and grabbed the merc’s assault rifle, looking it over.

“Should be only a few. Tag that other merc while you are over there.” Wrex looked at the last door they needed to go through and nodded. He looked back over to Pyjak who had picked up the rifle and lazily fired several rounds in the human he had cracked the skull of. “Find a new toy?” She nodded and casually tossed him back his shotgun. He caught it and put it back on the mag lock on his lower back.

“Kovalyov VII, it’s the flag ship rifle for Rosenkov Materials. These guys are either stealing high end shit or they are well paid.” She let out a low whistle as she fiddled with the rifle. “Doesn’t matter, it’s mine now.” She threw him a grin and Wrex grinned back. She knew her damned guns. He made sure she would know them, she could also mod them like no one’s business and he figured she would have that rifle modded to hell and back to the point not even the manufacturer would be able to recognize the cannon she would turn it into.

“Glad you are finding new toys but we need to finish this.” He gestured to the last door they needed to go through and she nodded, making her way over to him, her shield ports whirring rather sluggishly. He glanced at them with a scowl. “We need to get you new armour. Your shield ports are moving slow, sound like they want to shit the bed.” The slow moving shield ports meant her shields couldn’t sustain as much damage as they should and they would take longer to reload if they went down. He didn’t like that. Not at all.

“Fuck! They must have gotten clipped.” She tapped at the port and Wrex spotted the scorch mark across them that was most likely the reason they were acting sluggish. “Fuck, they did.” She let out a huff of frustration at that. Wrex still didn’t like it. He didn’t like her not having protection, she didn’t have the krogan natural armour, if her shields went down, the shots would cut through her like butter.

“You can stay here and watch my back.” He grumbled it out, his eyes narrowed at the port.

She smiled up at him before headbutting his arm gently. “You go first, pops, I’ll stick behind you to take minimal damage. Your ports are modded to hell and back and sound better than mine. As long as I stick behind you, the damage to my shields will be minimal. I want to finish this one.” She shifted the rifle in her arms and looked up at him.

Wrex grumbled before bending down and yanking a helmet off of one of the mercs and handing it to her. “Put it on.”

She gave a low sound of disgust in her throat. “Pops!” There was a heavy amount of defiance to her voice and he whirled around, grabbing the top of her head in his hand as he forced her to make eye contact.

“You will put it on and leave it on.” He shoved the helmet into her chest, daring her argue or defy him. However she stuck her bottom lip out and set the rifle on her mag lock before taking the helmet. He dropped his hand and watched as she grumbled the entire time she put the helmet on but she put it on regardless. He felt a little better with her head covered and he turned, putting his pistol back on the mag lock and taking off his shotgun. “Behind me.” He barked it out before lumbered towards that last door.

They were there to take down the merc base on the back water planet. Some locals in the system had hired them because the mercs were getting brave. They had started hitting the colonies and with the threat of the batarians coming to raid for slaves they had reached their tipping point. So they had outsourced. Wrex had snapped up the job quick. He and Pyjak needed credits and with the colonists stating that they could keep whatever they found in the base as well as the five thousand credits promised to wipe everyone out, there was no way in hell he was going to turn it down. Plus it was good target practice for Pyjak.

She was old enough that he had started taking her on jobs. She had ten underneath her belt already and he couldn’t be more proud. She was getting calmer under fire and she did listen to him, despite how sometimes it felt like she wanted to spite him just to spite him. But when it came to her safety she grumbled and complained but she did as he wanted, case in point the helmet. However her couldn't begrudge her for her stubborness, any good krogan was stubborn.

Wrex made it to the door and glanced back at Pyjak. “Let’s knock and introduce ourselves.” With that he turned back to the door and kicked it open, bringing his shotgun up. He fired on the mercs that had been clearly waiting for him. They had arranged the metal crates for cover and Wrex cursed right before Pyjak grabbed a chain of grenades from his belt and puled their pins before tossing them over the crates. Frantic shouts came moments before the grenades explodes, sending several bodies flying.

Wrex charged in, taking advantage of the chaos to take out shields and mercs. He could hear Pyjak following him as she wielded her new rifle rather well but he could tell there was something off about the firing from it and he could tell it was agitating her. Not enough to get her to stop firing but enough for him to notice her excessive cursing.

After a few minutes of chaos, all the mercs were dead and Wrex let out a bellowing laugh before he reached over and thumped Pyjak on the back. “Job well done!”

She reached and pulled off the helmet with a grimace. “Fucking stinks in there.” She tossed the helmet away with disgust before she grabbed her rifle with a scowl.

“What's wrong with it?” He gestured to the gun and she scowled.

“It's a flag ship rifle, there are issues with any flag ship. But the firing rate is slow because the firing pin is slower than the trigger. It’s not normally an issue if you compensate but in a high stress scenario you will jam the gun if you pull the trigger too much without letting it catch up.” She looked it over, flicking at various little ports it had.

“Still want to use it?” He moved over to one of the metal crates and she scoffed.

“I can mod it to fix the issue, that’s no problem. It packs a helluva shot and with some cryo modding or explosive rounds, it will be a dream to handle. Just don’t like seeing them being so lazy with the firing mechanism on such a high end rifle.” He could clearly hear the disgust in her voice and he grinned as he pulled off the top of the crate. He gave another chuckle as he pulled out one of the sleek sniper rifles. “Is that a _viper_?” Pyjak’s voice pitched upwards and she was suddenly beside him, looking at the rifle he was holding in his hands.

“You can bet your little pink pyjak ass it is.” He chuckled before carelessly handing it to her as he dug around in the box and giving a low chuckle as he pulled out a sleek shotgun. “They were fucking weapon smugglers. We can get a pretty fucking credit chit for these.” He looked over the gun with a critical eye but it was certainly better looking than his old one. “Think you can figure out and mod for any of the issues the ones we want might have?” He hefted the weight of the shotgun and Pyjak scoffed.

“You can bet your itty bitty krogan tail I can, pops!” She sounded excited at the prospect and he laughed loudly before reaching over and ruffling her short hair before affectionately and gently headbutting her. That was his girl!

“Great. We can fucking load this shit onto the shuttle and head back to the colony.” He nodded as he looked over the crates. “Might need to make a few more trips to get it all.” He scowled slightly at that and Pyjak laughed.

“Doubt it. When I was hacking in to shut down security I made note of them having a ship down here named the _Liberator_ , the model has a cargo bay that could hold all of the crates. We just need to get everything into it and then get it out of the hangar.” She looked up at him as she practically cradled the viper sniper rifle to her chest and Wrex gave her a wicked grin.

“We were about due for an upgrade in ships anyway.” At his words she gave a little happy dance before throwing her arms around him. Wrex patted her back, giving her a small squeeze.

That was his girl and by the universe if he wasn’t fucking proud of her.


	5. Of Krogan Dads and Custody Battles

**Six month’s later**

Wrex pulled the _Liberator_ into Citadel space and glowered as he had to wait to be docked. He didn’t like waiting, and he didn’t like the fact that he had to come back to the Citadel at all. Not after that damned Alliance official snagged Pyjak from him. He ground his teeth at the reminder. That stupid fucking merc base they destroyed had been smuggling Alliance weapons and when Pyjak and him had sold them on Omega, word had gotten back to the Alliance about it. They didn’t care that they had taken them from the mercs who stole them. Their ship had gotten raided, he had gotten slapped in irons, and they fucking took his kid.

To say that he was feeling fucking irritated and upset and a talon width away from a bloodrage was minimizing what he felt. He hadn’t seen her in four fucking months and no one would tell him what was happening with her. That was until a C-Sec officer by the name of Bailey had given him a call a month ago and let him know that Pyjak was on the station in lock up. Apparently she had caused far too much trouble on every single colony they dropped her on to foster her, even in the Alliance run orphanages. They locked her up because that was the only way they could control her.

Wrex would have been proud of her chaotic nature and the amount of shit she had caused but he had been too fucking pissed off on being stuck in jail for a month as well as having her taken from him. He wanted to pulverize the humans who had taken her in the first place. They said he was an unfit parent and the fact she had no records meant they could only assume she had been a slave he had taken and that he was clearly unfit to have continued custody of her. Which pissed him right off. He had taught her right! She was able to survive and thrive and could protect herself. He would say he did a fucking great job of raising her.

However he did have to give grudging respect to Bailey. The human had remembered her and Wrex from that first day Wrex had found her when he dropped the slaver ship to C-Sec thirteen years ago. Bailey had gotten paperwork written up once he realized they had separated the two, said he was willing, along with his turian partner who had also been there, to stand as witnesses to the court hearing to get him full custody.

Bailey had his grudging respect because the man had set it up so Wrex could legally adopt Pyjak. He hadn’t thought about needing paperwork or any bullshit like that. That was Citadel bureaucratic bullshit but Bailey assured him that the paperwork with a judge signing off on it would mean that Pyjak wouldn’t be taken from him again. She was just shy of turning seventeen and Bailey warned him that if he didn’t petition the courts for parental rights, then the Alliance could withhold Pyjak from him until she turned eighteen, so another year and a half. That didn’t sit right with him and Bailey said it didn’t sit right with him either because she would be kept locked up the entire time because she was just so fucking chaotic. Bailey said he wanted her out of the jail, every C-sec officer in that ward agreed because she had started no less than eight riots since she had been thrown into C-Sec lock up.

Wrex had to admit that that little fact made him fairly fucking proud. He missed his little chaotic girl. He missed taking her out on jobs, missed eating her really nasty burnt food when she tried her hand at cooking, he missed her sitting at her little modding bench he had gotten for her, and he missed her draping herself over his hump and falling asleep. He missed her and he hated the fact that they had taken her away from him at all.

It took another hour before he was finally able to dock and he hated the fact he had to go out in civvies and not his armour but he dressed up in the nice suit that Bailey had urged him to get. He grabbed the case with all the paperwork that Bailey had also told him to gather, which had taken him nearly the full month to get and frustrated him to no end. With everything he needed in hand, he left the ship. He stalked down the docks and spotted Bailey and the turian he had never cared to get the name of.

“You could stand to look a little less murderous but I figure that's a bit impossible.” Bailey let out a small sigh at that and Wrex sneered.

“They took my kid from me, have her locked in prison. I’m feeling a little murderous at the moment.” A heavy growl came through with the words and Bailey held up his hand.

“I can understand that. You’ve obviously done good with her but you need to make to official so can you please not say that when we are taking to the judge?” The human looked a tad exasperated and Wrex stared at him hard.

“What crawled in your panties?” Clearly something was bothering the human and Wrex wanted to know what the fuck it was.

“She tried to light the rec room on fire this morning.” The turian drawled it out and Wrex couldn’t help the grin he gave at the news.

“That’s my girl!” He bobbed his head and his grin grew wider as Bailey pinched his nose between his fingers.

“Please don’t say that to the judge either.” Bailey let out a huff before waving him forward. “I greased some palms so we could get this finished today. It’s looking good that you will get custody of her, if to just get her out of the jail so she can stop causing so much damage.” The human rubbed the back of his neck and Wrex let out a low chuckle. He was proud of her for causing that much destruction and chaos, any good krogan would keep fighting even when locked in jail. She was a fucking great krogan, he knew that much. Bailey threw him a look over his shoulder, **“** But that doesn’t mean you can be a krogan and threaten people or things. We need to make you look like a competent parent.” Wrex shrugged, he didn’t do well with bureaucratic bullshit but if it helped him get his girl back he would put up with the damn varren fighting pit he would be walking into.

They made their way to the presidium commons and he was more than aware of the attention he was catching. Krogans weren’t really allowed into the presidium so he was something that clearly wasn’t supposed to be there, so it meant eyes followed him and whispers broke out. He ignored the looks and didn’t even want to look around at all. He wanted to get into the courtroom, say whatever it was he needed to say, get his girl, and get the fuck out.

Bailey gestured to a door and Wrex followed him and the Turian into the Tower before they moved along the main floor and to a rather ornate looking door. The turian and Bailey both moved through it first and Wrex followed. An asari was sitting at a large desk, her hand clasped before her as a red faced human was sputtering. “This is utterly ridiculous! Giving a _krogan_ custody of a _human_? It’s preposterous!” He was waving his hands around and Wrex wanted to sneer but as the asari flicked her gaze over to him, he fought it down.

“I have heard your concerns, Ambassador Udina, however we will go through this as we normally do. We will see if he is fit for having custody of her or not.” The asari’s voice was calm and even, betraying no amount of bias one way or the other as she looked at the human ambassador.

“Put her with a _human_ family!” He sputtered it out, his face red and the Asari slowly shook her head.

“From what I have heard, that has already been tried and she has caused massive amounts of destruction and chaos wherever she is placed. She is currently locked up in jail, which we both know is not a health environment for a child, no matter her age.” She shifted in her chair before she turned to Bailey and the turian and smiled. “Officer Bailey, Officer Chellick, I hope there was no troubles on the way here.” Her tone was conversational and both the officers responded to the greeting.

Finally the asari directed her attention to him and Wrex lifted his chin. “Well, I can assume we can start. Who will be acting as witnesses?” Bailey and the turian who was apparently named Chellick, lifted their hands. They stated what they knew of him and Pyjak and how whenever they both returned to the Citadel that she was healthy and well taken care of and that Wrex seemed to have a great affection for her that was returned. They stated they found no misgivings in allowing Wrex to adopt her as he was pretty much the only parent she knew and to take her away from him was unfair.

After they finished the asari hummed slightly in thought before she looked at Wrex. “Why have you not come to the courts to officially adopt her previous? Are you truly that ignorant in the way of how this universe works?” Bailey glanced at him in warning to not respond to the blatant insult and Wrex cleared his throat and lifted his chin.

“I was not aware I needed to. In krogan culture if you find child with no parents and take them in, you become their parents and they take your clan name. Children are precious to us and I was unaware there was more to the situation, politically, other than taking her in and caring for her.” Wrex said the words as even as he could and the asari gave a small nod as she seemed to think about it.

“Present your case then, Urdnot Wrex. Prove to me you are a competent parent.” At the words Wrex wanted to sneer but he fought it back, keeping the anger shoved deep inside his belly. This was for his girl, to get her back. He could handle some bureaucratic bullshit.

He moved to her deck and set down the case of paperwork on it. He pulled out the thick top folder, “This is her health records, all her visits we made to clinics, all her vaccinations and immunizations, her allergies, the medications she has ever needed to take.” He pulled out another thick folder. “These are her education marks and her efficiencies in various subjects. We didn’t have a traditional form of education but I made sure she knew what she needed and that she kept good marks.”

He pulled out another folder. “These are the schedules we have kept through the years, you can see in them that I made sure she was getting the appropriate amount of sleep, rest, and downtime she needs as a human.” He pulled out the last, thicker folder, “These are witness statements from people we have met and that we knew over the years that can show you that I am a competent father to her and always have been.” He stepped back from the desk as the asari gave an incredulous look over the rather hefty amount of paperwork Wrex had put onto her desk. It had taken him damn long to collect it and Bailey told him more was better 

“Well. I wasn't expecting this.” She grabbed the medical folder and flipped it open, flipping through several pages. “You actually took her for yearly check ups and got her vaccinated and immunized?” There was a thread of incredulity to her voice and Wrex nodded.

“That is prepostero-”

“Ambassador Udina, some of your humans don’t give their children this level of health care in regards to vaccines and immunizations. I don’t want to hear it.” She snapped the words out as she flipped through it. “You took her in for common colds?” She looked up at him and Wrex resisted the urge to rub the back of his neck.

“At first. I didn’t know what she was going through. After I learned I could handle it on my own we didn’t go in unless it got worse.” He said the words carefully, feeling a little embarrassed at remembering how much he had first freaked out at her getting a snotty nose with a harsh cough. He had thought her brain was melting to be honest.

“I see that, several instances of bronchitis that you diligently took care of and made sure she had check ups for.” She still seemed shocked as she flipped through the folder. “This is an impressive standard of care you have shown for her health. Krogan have double systems in case something fails so the fact you gave such an intensive care to ensure she was healthy is highly commendable.” Wrex knew that she was calling his species stupid and unwilling to learn about others but he bit back the anger he got at it. This was for his girl and he would push through it.

She closed the folder and grabbed the other one, she flipped through it, her expression growing more and more incredulous. “You registered several modding patents for weapon mods she created?”

“She likes tinkering with tech, she is good at it and I wanted to ensure what she made was protected.” Well one of his tech expert buddies had told him to do so several years ago and he had made sure that her inventions were protected from any asshole that wanted to steal them. It was the only paperwork he didn’t half mind filing. Well to the extent of tossing her schematics at the only salarian he half liked named Torfin who made sure all the paperwork was processed for her.

“I can see that. She has lower marks in social studies, galactic common, and art but her marks in mathematics and science are _phenomenal_. You had several _tutors_ for her?” The incredulous tone in her voice went up and Wrex nodded. He wasn’t about to tell her that some of that was stretching the truth a fair bit. They weren’t exactly tutors but merc buddies that specialized in various fields that Pyjak had shown interest in. They had taught her a lot and he figured that was close to tutoring as one could get. “I can also see that she tested incredibly high in those subjects. You actually gave her the chance to test these proficiencies?” Wrex once again gave a nod. That was stretching the truth a bit too. A lot of her teachers were once again his merc buddies that didn’t mind giving her a piece of paper to test on and mark but they knew their shit and if she could replicate it, they gave her top marks.

The asari glanced up at Bailey. “They sent her file to you when they transfered her to C-Sec right?” He nodded and she frowned slightly. “Her marks were good on the education side?”

“As you said, social studies, galactic common, and art are a bit low but science and math are top marks.” Bailey shifted his stance before he glanced at the turian beside him.

“She is well rounded despite that. She is well knowledgeable about a lot of different subjects around tech and modification and if she was part of the Hierarchy we would send her to specialized tech training in a heartbeat. She's an incredibly smart kid, if a bit destructive.” The turian’s voice was even and the judge closed the folder before grabbing the thicker one and opening it. She scanned a few pages before she closed it and stacked all the paperwork back in the case with a furrowed brow. Wrex was positive she looked utterly confused.

“ _Well_?” The human hissed it out and the asari held up a hand. “Just because he took her to the doctor-”

“Enough, ambassador. Let me think.” She rubbed at her forehead, the confused look on her face turning into a frown. After a few moments she sighed and looked at Wrex. “This is a unique situation. Cross species adoption is still very very new and some people do not enjoy it nor do they want to continue the practice.” She clasped her hands together and stared at him. “However, despite my instincts that tell me krogans can’t possibly provide what you have provided for her in the last thirteen years, you have. You have taken great pains to ensure she is healthy and educated.”

“This is-”

“Tutors, Udina! Tutors, testing, yearly doctor visits, vaccinations and immunizations. _Securing patents for her inventions_! Sure they live on a ship and travel a lot but there is a good portion of humanity that does that exact thing! I can state that the mercenary work is a red flag but thirteen years into this situation and she is not only alive but _thriving_. Not to mention that a majority of his work is protecting colonists from gangs and slavers ” The judge’s voice was incredulous once again. “Despite all of our beliefs on what krogan can or cannot do he has made an exemplary father to her and has given her a good life. A far better one than her living in an orphanage until she turns eighteen.” The asari shook her head slowly.

“You cannot possibly be thinking of doing this!” The human sputtered, his face red and a vein in his forehead throbbing.

“I will because if I don’t, all I am doing is placing undue prejudice onto Urdnot Wrex that we have against his species. We must make judgments on a case by case basis and I will not be biased. He is more than a competent parent to her and she has clearly never exhibited this chaotic and destructive behaviour while in his care.” The judge held out a hand to Bailey and he quickly handed her a data pad. She signed it before waving Wrex closer. “Please sign here, Urdnot Wrex.” He took the stylus and signed his name where she said and she set it down as the human ambassador sputtered again.

“Officer Bailey, please have Urdnot Pyjak returned to her father’s custody.” She placed the data pad down before getting another one and copying whatever documents she had onto it. She handed it to Wrex with a small smile. “Keep taking care of her with the same diligence you have. I am sure she will turn out to be a wonderful adult.”

“Thank you.” He packed the data pad into his case and closed it up before taking it off her desk. He felt triumphant but at the same time he was still angry. There was no reason to need to do this bureaucratic bullshit at all They took her away from him due to some paperwork issues and political bullshit and he had to essentially fight to get his daughter back. She never should have been taken from him in the first place.

“I can’t believe you just handed over a _human_ child to a _krogan_! The Alliance won’t stand for this!” The human ambassador shouted it out but Wrex ignored him as he marched out of the office. The asari could deal with him, Wrex was more inclined to shoot the fucker.

Bailey caught up to him and threw him a grin as he fell into step beside him. “Thank whatever deity you believe in because I know I am.” Wrex grunted at that, his grip tightening on the handle of the case. He just wanted to get his girl and get the fuck off the Citadel. He was inclined to want to keep them both out of the terminus system just so the Alliance wouldn’t bother them because he had the feeling they fucking would.

“We won’t have to keep fixing whatever she breaks. Which is something even Executor Pallin will like because she was literally breaking our budget at this point. Didn’t know humans could be _that_ destructive.” The turian gave a small chuckle at that but Wrex ignored it as he caught sight of familiar shade of red hair.

“Pops!” Pyjak called it out from her place at the entrance to the Tower next to several guards, a wide grin splitting her face as she bolted for him.

“My girl!” He bellowed it out and let the case fall to the floor as held out his arms for her. She launched at him, her arms wrapping around his neck and he lifted her off the floor, squeezing her tight to his chest. “Glad you are in once piece, you little pink pyjak!” He rocked her back and forth as she shook and he grimaced when he realized she was crying. “Hey, none of that right now. I’ve got the paperwork. This shit ain’t gunna happen again.” Not on his fucking life was it going to happen again. He would kill each and every person who thought they could take her away from him. There was no fucking way he would let her out of his reach again. She was his little pyjak, his little girl and after thirteen fucking years, he wasn’t keen to let her go.

She just shook her head, her arms tightening on him and her face buried further into his neck. He grumbled slightly before setting her down. He pushed her away and her eyes were red and her cheeks were sticky as her bottom lip trembled. “Enough of that. Come on, up you go.” He grabbed her waist and lifted her and with a practised ease she draped over her hump, her hands gripping the edge of his face plate. He was comforted with her up there, it let him know she was safe.

“You still do that?" Bailey asked it low with a faint shake of his head as he smiled.

Wrex grunted at him and grabbed the case. “I head you started eight riots and started the rec room on fire.” Wrex chuckled as Pyjak gave a wet sounding laugh.

“Yah I did. I wanted to get out and I figured if I did enough bad shit they would let me go.” She croaked it out slightly and Wrex laughed loudly. Such a krogan she was. He was so fucking proud of her.

“Not to interrupt but that is definitely not how this works. If you are in jail and you do more bad things, you stay longer.” Bailey said it and Wrex grunted before shaking his head slightly.

“You aren’t bad for a human.” He glanced at the man and then looked towards the other officer. “And you ain’t bad for a bird. Thanks for helping me get her back.” He reached up and patted her hands gently. He was happy she was back and he was more than happy that at least with the paperwork she wouldn’t be taken away again.

“Just how much of the stuff in the folders was true?” The turian asked it conversationally and Wrex shrugged.

“Some of the people aren’t exactly reputable and they didn’t have fancy titles like doctor or educator but it was enough.” That was all he was going to say. He had tracked down many of his old contacts and people he had known over the years. However he wasn't going to let the C-Sec officers know just how wanted some of those people were. “Let’s get back to the _Liberator_ and blow this junk heap. What do you say, Pyjak?” He headed out of the Tower, leaving the officers behind and she gave a wet sounding sniffle.

“Can we shoot something once we get off this heap?” Her voice warbled slightly and Wrex nodded.

“We can do whatever you want, Pyjak. I even got you some of that chocolate shit you like. Not the ration bars, _actual_ chocolate.” He couldn’t stand the shit but he knew Pyjak liked it and after the ordeal she had, he had bought her an entire stash of it for when she came back. She was bigger and liked her guns but he still liked spoiling her with treats. There was no point in having kids if you couldn’t spoil them.

“ _Really_?” She gave another sniffle and Wrex nodded his head.

“Yah. I got you some of that milk shit and the dark shit. Something with noooogat. Whatever the fuck that is. Some with nuts, not those nuts though, the pecans. I know you can’t eat that shit.” She rashed out when she had tried them and the doctor said she was allergic, so he made to keep pecans away from her. Especially after the doctor explained just how deadly they things could be to her.

“I still wanna shoot some shit though.” She said it in a whisper and Wrex laughed.

“Good because I have a small bounty run we can do. A small merc company needs to be wiped out and I’ve missed my girl.” He reached up and patted her hands again. She shifted on his hump and when he looked up at her she kissed his forehead plate.

“Thanks for coming to get me.” Her eyes were wet and her voice warbled as she said it and Wrex scowled at that.

“I wasn’t fucking leaving you. There was no way in hell that I was gunna spend thirteen years taking care of you to have some trumped up bureaucratic bullshit keep you away from me! Do you know how many credits I have spent on you? So many! You owe me so much at this point!” He barked it out, doing his best to ignore the lump that had grown in his throat.

She gave a wet sounding chuckle as the continued to move through the presidium. “Still, thanks.” At the words he grumbled a bit before she wrapped her arms around his neck in a slight hug. “I love you, pops.”

He waved away the words and went to brush it off before he gave a low growl. “Love you too, Pyjak.” He muttered the words out and patted at the arms around his neck.

That was his girl. He was fucking proud of her, even when she snotty nosed and crying. And there would be hell to pay if anyone tried to take her away from him again.


	6. Of Mods and Brothers

**Six months later**

Pyjak tilted her head as she carefully welded the small chip into place for her cryo mod. She had been fiddling with it for the six months, trying to make it perfect. Cryo ammo was fucking expensive but she loved the effect it gave. She was fairly positive she had managed to get the mod right. With it, she wouldn’t need to buy anymore cryo ammo. It would instantly reprogram the heat sink inserted to alter the effect of the ammo being discharged to cryo. It had worked perfectly fine the last ten times she had used it but she wanted to tweak it a bit more to up the chances of having her target freeze.

She pulled the goggles away from her eyes and lifted the mod to inspect it. She knew her little addition increased the chances of freezing by 1.48% and that was a significant boost to a prototype mod. That made her total chances of the modded ammo freezing someone to 22.13%, it wasn’t 25% but she wasn’t really complaining. Well maybe a little but she also didn’t want to completely wreck the mod in search of that extra percentage to bump it up to that. As it was her percentages were better than the prefabbed cryo ammo.

The airlock of the _Liberator_ opened up and two krogan came lumbering in. “Fucking stinks in here.” At the growled words Pyjak rolled her eyes.

“So good to see you, Wreav.” The sarcasm fairly burned as it came out. She didn’t know why the irritating krogan was allowed on board. Wrex had grumbled the entire fucking time when he had gotten the hail to pick his brother up. Apparently the krogan had tried his hand at bounty hunting and had gotten his ass trapped without his crew on an uninhabited planet. She would have left him there but Wreav was her pops’ brother so maybe family meant a little bit of something to the surly krogan she called father. However she didn't need to like it.

“Fuck off, human.” He spat the words at her and she rolled her eyes as she slipped the mod into her Kovalyov VII rifle. They had come out with another generation of rifle but honestly Pyjak wasn’t that impressed, with her modding the gun she had now was far superior to the next gen they had released. She would bet money that it would be better than the next eight they released as well. She would stick with it until they matched her modding and then jump to that one and mod the fuck out of it and then wait another nine releases before they caught up to her.

“Watch your fucking mouth, Wreav.” Pops gave a heavy growl of warning to his little brother and Pyjak smirked to herself slightly.

“Make me!” The other krogan bashed his fists together and Pyjak rolled her eyes as she turned on her stool to watch the two of them. She knew her pops would wipe the fucking floor with his brother but it didn’t mean she didn’t want to see it.

Wrex got into Wreav’s face with a snarl. “You are on _my_ ship, little brother. I had to pick your sorry ass off a sorry ass excuse for a planet because you can’t be trusted to handle the basics of being a merc. You never should have left your father's quad and should have stayed on Tachunka.” The words were hissed and Pyjak grinned, looked between the two of them. “Urdnot Pyjak-”

“That _human_ is _not_ part of our clan-” Wreav’s words were cut off as Wrex head butted him hard enough that he slammed into the floor of the ship with a heavy thud.

“That human is my kid so don’t you fucking dare say one more word. I’ve got the fucking paperwork to prove it. I’m not taking you to Tachunka out of the goodness of my two hearts. Pyjak is going to finalize her Rite of Passage with a female clan and then I’m gunna bring her into Urdnot.” At the words Pyjak sat up straighter and her eyes widened. He was going to take her to Tachunka to do a fucking Rite of Passage? She felt an insane urge to cry at the emotions that it brought. If she could complete a Rite, then it meant she would be recognized as a full fledged krogan and would be adopted into a clan.

“You can’t fucking do that!” Wreave attempted to get to his feet and Wrex savagely headbutted him down into the floor again.

“The fuck I can’t. I have a female shaman who is willing to let Pyjak do her Rite. It’s going to fucking happen, Wreav, you have no say about that.” Wrex spat on his brother before moving towards Pyjak and gently knocking his head into hers. “Finish fiddling with your mod?” She grinned at him and lifted the rifle.

“It has a 22.13% chance of freezing my targets, I was able to squeeze an extra 1.48% out of it. It’s no 25% but I don’t want to fuck it up to chase the impossible.” She handed the rifle to him and he looked it over with a low grumble.

“Pretty fucking good, Pyjak. Get the schematics written up and we will drop them off for Torfin to run through.” He handed her the rifle back and she reached up with her forehead and he knocked his head against it with a heavy dose of affection. “Wreav, if you know what is good for you. Keep your damn mouth shut.” He pointed at his brother who was just managing to get up off the floor. “I’m gunna plug in to the system to head to Tachunka.” Pyjak nodded with a smile, watching him leave before giving a happy little wiggle on her stool as she put her rifle down.

She was going to become a full fledged member of a krogan clan. She would be Urdnot on Tachunka as well as everywhere else. That was a big fucking step and she was so fucking looking forward to it. “This won’t mean you’re a krogan.” Wreav spat it at her with a heavy growl and she rolled her eyes before setting her rifle on the table and grabbing a chocolate form the box she had open and eating it.

“Maybe not but you bitching about it won’t mean you have a bigger claim over clan Urdnot than pops does.” It was petty to jab at him with it but she didn’t care. Her run ins with Wreav had been basically laced with open hostility the entire time she had known him. He fucking deserved it.

“You little bitch.” He spat it at her and Pyjak clenched her hands into fists before she jumped to her feet and stalked towards him. She hated being called a bitch. He was larger than her and weighed a shit ton more but it didn’t stop her from drawing her head back and head butting him in the nose.

He gave a heavy yelp and clutched at it before he scrambled for his gun. “Wreav!” At the bark from Wrex the other krogan gave a low curse, holding his nose as he gave her a murderous look. “If she managed to make you bleed, you need to sit the fuck down and take your loss like a damned krogan with an actual quad.”

“She aimed for my fucking nose!” There was a distinctive whine to his voice that Pyjak loved. Her head hurt a little bit from the headbutt but she aimed for the softer spot deliberately.

“Krogans play fucking dirty, you little shit, you should know this!” Wrex emerged from the cockpit and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’ll get you, you little rodent.” He pointed at her with his free hand and Pyjak gave him a rather wicked grin.

“You aren’t worth fighting, Wreav.” At the heavy insult the krogan sputtered and Wrex bellowed out a laugh before slinging his arm around her shoulders, giving her a hefty side hug.

“That’s my girl!” At the praise and the pride in his voice she puffed up, giving Wreav a smug look. He glowered at her before he stalked off, pointedly ignoring her. Pyjak grinned wide at the display. Wreav was a fucking pain in the ass but she loved how she was allowed to rile him up like that. Wrex actually encouraged it and beat his brother down whenever he tried to seriously retaliate.

Wrex let her shoulder go to ruffle her hair, causing it to flop in her face. She scowled and shoved it away. She needed to take the buzz cutters to it soon but she was too lazy at the moment. “You’ll be a fine member of Urdnot.” He said it with purpose and Pyjak felt her face go red at the praise.

“You think so?” She couldn’t help the question. His praise meant the world to her, it always had. He was her dad and she was down and out the biggest daddy’s girl in the galaxy. His praise and pride meant everything to her.

“Think so? I fucking _know_ so!” He slammed his fists together with a wide grin that showed off all his teeth.

She launched at him, throwing her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. “Thank you for getting me the chance to do the Rite!” She couldn’t believe he had managed to do that. It had always seemed unattainable so she had never asked for it. Just having him as a dad had seemed like more than enough.

He gave a faint cough as if to clear his throat before he gave her a hug back. “Well. If I am your father by Citadel standards, I couldn’t stomach the thought of not having you officially in the clan by Tachunka standards. We're better than those bureaucratic assholes so I couldn’t stand for it.” He let her go and nudged her away slightly. “Finish eating your chocolate and maybe we can shoot some more pyjak when we get there.” He crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at her and she grinned up at him.

“I love you, pops.” At the words he looked away, his throat working slightly before he gave another little cough.

“I know.” He grumbled it out and she knew exactly what that meant. He didn’t say ‘I love you too’ often but he did say it in a shit ton of other words. Just like that I know. She knew what he meant when he said it.

She rocked back and forth on her feet before she glanced at him. “If I pass the Rite can I get a varren pup?”

He sputtered slightly at the question, clearly not expecting it. “Now you're just pushing it.” He pointed at her, a clear warning in her eyes and she grinned before letting out a cackle. “You little shit!” She bolted back for her bunk, laughing all the way. He was the best dad in the world!


	7. Of Small Joys and Dark Spaces

**On Tachunka**

Pyjak watched Wreav stalk off before she nudged Wrex in his side as she tilted her head. “Can I throw a rock at him?” She fought down a smile as Wrex bent down and handed her a smallish chunk of concrete.

“If you hit him, I’ll think about getting you a varren pup for when you pass your Rite.” He said it with a heavy bit of amusement and Pyjak grinned at him. She had been joking about the varren, she just wanted to poke his hump.

“We can’t keep a varren pup on the ship. No room. This is just for fun.” She took two steps backwards and did her best to calculate the distance the rock needed to travel and the angle she needed to get it there. She bounced the concrete chunk in her hand before she held it out behind her and took two steps and threw it. The arc was perfect and both them watched as it smacked against the back of Wreav’s hump, sending him into a stumble before he tripped and he landed on his face. She and Wrex burst into laughter as his yelp and cursing made it’s way back to them.

“That’s my girl!” He ruffled her hair and grinned. “Fucker is a pain in the ass.” He shook his head and Pyjak could only agree. Wreav was a traditionalist, her pops wanted better for the krogans than to try and destroy themselves and each other and Wreav was content to fight over piece of a rock. That and it rubbed his hump raw that Wrex had taken her in. He didn’t like humans and by default he didn’t like her, not to mention the first time he met her he tried to squish her. Wrex damn near tore his face plate for that and then taught her exactly where to put a knife and pry to yank off that specific plate if Wreav tried to attack her again. Wreav had turned a little green around the gills as Wrex have her very detailed instructions on how to do just that.

She bumped her shoulder against Wrex as they started walking. He nudged her back with a low chuckle and she grinned up at him. She had come to appreciate him a lot more since the Alliance had taken her away from him. Those four months had been hell and she never wanted to repeat it. The families hadn’t understood a damn thing about her, they took away her tech and her modding tools and wouldn’t even let her have a gun. They demanded she wear a dress and be a docile little girl. Whatever the fuck that meant. She hated every second of it regardless.

The jail was the only half decent place and that was because at least the people in there kind of understood who she was. Most of all she missed her pops more than anything. The day she learned he had gotten her out and gotten custody of her, she had blubbered like a baby. To say she didn’t much appreciate the Alliance after that was an understatement. They had disrupted her family and took her away from the one person who actually gave a fuck about it. So she absolutely had no use for them after that.

She leaned against him slightly as they walked and he ruffled her hair with affection, grunting at her slightly in question. “Do you know what happens in the Rite?” She was a little nervous and pops hadn’t talked about it at all and she really didn’t like going in blind. He had taught her that much.

“If you were male it would be easy. Kill everything that the hammer calls but you're going through the female Rite. I can’t help you but I'm sure it will be alright. I know the female shaman Rites are brutal but they wouldn’t put unnecessary risk on females by doing something stupid with them.” He grasped her shoulder, keeping her tucked up close to his side. “You’ll pass your Rite, I ain’t worried a fucking bit about it.” He said that but she could feel how tightly he held her and she didn’t comment on it, just leaned against him a bit more. The unknowns were always something to worry over and her stomach tightened a little bit at the thought that he was slightly worried but then again he was her dad. He worried over her, it was his job.

“It will be easy!” She said it lightly, trying to bolster herself up just as much as she was trying to bolster him up. He nodded before thumping her back, nearly sending her sprawling as he guffawed with laughter. “Fuck you, pops!” She whirled around and threw a few fake jabs at him, dancing around him as she walked backwards. “I’ll take you down, be head of the clan. Bop, bop!” She threw a few more punches at him as he laughed

Satisfied he was sufficiently distracted she went back to walking beside him. She kept her gaze straight, not looking at the krogans they were walking by. She was more than used to being stared at when they occasionally came back to Tachunka. However everyone knew better than to try and give her a hard time because her pops did not put krogan down nicely when they fucked around with her, for that matter she knew a fair few ways to make them hurt that she gleefully liked to use.

“Well look who has graced us with her puny, pink presence.” At the booming voice Pyjak grinned wide with excitement.

“Ratch!” She bounded towards the merchant krogan, giving him a tight hug once she got close enough. He didn’t hug her back but ruffled her hair affectionately. “How are you, you old fart?” She jabbed at his stomach and he swatted her hands away with a laugh.

“Better if I didn’t have pesky little pyjaks like _you_ bothering me.” With that he scooped her up, dangling her upside down as she laughed. He shook her up and down and Pyjak laughed, feeling like she was nine years old again as the krogan shook her around. He set her back on her feet and she damn near hit the ground as the blood rushed from her head in a whoosh. “What brings you two back here?” He held her steady on her feet as he looked between her and pops who had made his way over.

“A female shaman has given leave for Pyjak to take part in her Rite.” Wrex puffed his chest out and lifted his chin. Pyjak’s face split wide wit a grin and she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. It was exciting, sure she was nervous as fuck about not knowing what it entailed but she was excited. She would be made a part of Urdnot by Tachunka rules and that was something worth being excited about.

“You’re shitting me?” Ratch bellowed it out and Wrex shook his head. “Congrats, Jakkie!” He surprised her by tugging her to his side and giving her a squeeze. “You’ll pass like no one has before you. We could use a bit more diversity in Urdnot, too much red and not enough pink” He pointed at Wrex’s red forehead plate before tapping her own forehead with a bellow of a laugh. She giggled as well and Wrex rolled his eyes and gestured for her.

“We need to get her to the female camp of Rites soon so they can prepare her.” At the words Ratch let his arm drop s he ruffled her hair again. Pyjak ignored how it made her hair flop into her face as she headed over to Wrex, taking her usual spot at his side. “Need to get one of the tomkahs so we can get you out there.” With that Wrex led her away.

~~~~

Pyjak had never been to one of the female camps before and as she looked at the pile of rubble she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking for. Wrex slowed the tomkah to a stop at what looked to be the entrance to what looked to be a dark cave and he frowned slightly. “Females are in there, more than likely they are waiting for you. This is where I got to leave you, males aren’t allowed in the female camp of Rites.” He reached over and nudged her chin lightly. “You’ll succeed and I'll be waiting for you when you do. Just think of it like your first solo mission.” Pyjak felt her stomach flutter with nerves and she launched at him, hugging him tightly. She didn’t want to let him go, not really. First solo mission or not, her pops was her security and not knowing what she was getting into, just didn’t sit right with her.

He gave her a rather tight squeeze back, the tightness revealing his own worry about it and it was a few seconds before he released her and gave a throat clearing sound and pushed her away. “Okay. You go and make me proud.” He put his hands back on the steering wheel and Pyjak nodded as she quickly got out of the hatch of the tomkah and out into the harsh Tachunka sun. The dirt was swirling and it made her feel instantly gritty but she forced herself to move as she headed for the dark opening.

The tomkah stayed until she was in the shadow of the rubble pile before it took off. She resisted the urge to watch it go. A shrouded figure slowly came into view as she got closer and it bowed its head at her. “Pyjak of no clan. Welcome to the female camp of Rites.” The female’s voice was raspy and Pyjak bowed her head, swallowing hard as she looked at the female. She was covered head to to in deep purple clothe, only her amber eyes showing. “Please follow me.” She gestured at Pyjak and together they walked down into the camp.

It was similar to the Urdnot camp, the layout wasn’t much different but it was much quieter and surprisingly much cleaner. Pyjak could see other covered females moving around between piles of rubble that looked to have been placed in intricate and elaborate ways to give them odd shapes. They were interesting to look at and try and figure out because there were what seemed to be hundreds of them.

She must have stared at them a bit much because the female gestured to one. “The males destroy and we create. Each female will create her own representation of herself once she completes her Rite. Your's will be amid these if you pass your Rite.” She said it calmly and Pyjak didn’t know what to say. She was never really good at creativity but she shrugged it off, perhaps after her Rite she would feel a little different about what she could or couldn’t create.

“You are something no other female camp immediately wished to take on. You are not krogan, you do not understand our ways. There was much discussion between the females of the clans about what to do when Urdnot Wrex repeatedly asked if we would let you do a Rite.” She said it gently as the moved through the piles of rubble. “I was a firm believer in allowing you. If Urdnot Wrex took you in, raised you as his own, brought you into his chest and protected you there, then why could we not give you the chance to do the Rite?” Pyjak figured the question was rhetorical and didn’t respond as she looked around, trying to take it all in.

“You are not krogan, you are human, but you have shown us that the males _can_ change. That they are not just creatures bent on their own mutual and assured destruction. Urdnot Wrex has changed. He didn’t seek out destruction between clans, he did not come back to Tachunka to take on the mantle of his father and his father’s father before him.” The female shaman looked down at Pyjak as she slowed to a stop. She reached out and lifted Pyjak’s chin with her fingers. “He only came back to Tachunka to seek out a chance for his daughter to be allowed to do her Rite and be allowed to take her place within his clan. He came back, and continued to come back, to try and give his daughter a place where she could thrive, a place where she could rely on those who lived around her. He repeatedly came back to try and give her a home.” The words hit Pyjak like a blow to the head and to her horror she felt herself tear up.

The female stroked her cheek lightly. “That is the reason you have been given a chance to do your Rite to give you a clan name. You have shown us that the males can change because if a krogan as old as Urdnot Wrex can come back to Tachunka to try and build a home and a future for his daughter then our males aren’t as lost as we once believed they were.” With that the female gently urged Pyjak to continue walking. She stared at the ground, rubbing at her eyes as discretely as she could. She didn’t realize the females were so serious or that Wrex had been trying so hard to get her acceptance into his clan. That meant the world to her.

Wrex was her dad, the one person she knew she could rely on without question and the thought that he had been repeatedly trying to get her a place in his clan was wnough to create a hard lump in her throat. She hadn’t realized that each time they had come to Tachunka he had been asking about getting her a chance to do her Rite when she came of age. It made her chest tight with warm feelings of affection and love for her pops. He was the best dad any girl could have asked for.

“That is why we finally accepted. Some are still skeptical about what you can do, about how you can join the clan but they are willing to step down and let you take the Rite of Passage to earn a clan name. They will not oppose you and are willing to accept you should you complete your Rite.” They walked into a partially ruined building and there were several females there, all waiting in a straight line. “We will prepare you now.” Pyjak felt her stomach twist with nerves but steeled herself. She was the daughter of a goddamn krogan and she would damn well act like it.

She kept her head high as they helped her strip and then applied swirling marks to her skin and as they wrapped her up in a rough linen, tying a braided cord around her waist. She kept her head up even as her heart pounded in her throat with her anxiety as they chanted before leading her further into the rubble. She stumbled slightly as she walked, her bare feet not really used to the rough ground that was left after the bombings had rocked Tachunka.

They stopped in front of an ornate door and the female shaman gestured her forward. “This is where your Rite begins, Pyjak of no clan name. Where the men destroy, we create the foundations of our societies and our ways. You will delve deep into the lost city and bring back four items for us to evaluate.” She handed her a canteen. “We would normally send you in without water but you are not built like us and you will require it. Keep it close because this door will not open for at least three days. Good luck, Pyjak of no clan name. Make the females proud to call you one of their own.” The large door opened into a swallowing darkness a Pyjak took a deep breath before walking into it, the door closing behind her, sealing her into the dark.


	8. Of Trials and Tribulations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Rite and unsung names and everything in here with the female shamans I just made up. So it's not canon or anything but I did my best to follow how the females were and what krogan culture was like the best I could to try and make it kind of flow with the rest of their culture that we knew about.

Pyjak didn’t know how long she had been in the darkness. She wasn’t sure if there was even a way one could tell. It was just complete and total darkness. She had conserved her water and napped when she could but she still had no clue what was happening or what she needed to do. She had wondered the dark hallways for what seemed like days until she ran out of water and then she had found a cracked wall. It had shown a faint grey of light and she had climbed the tall pile of rubble to look through it. The crack was narrow and it looked as though someone else had tried and failed to widen it but she was able to twist herself through it.

She felt almost delirious and thirsty, so thirsty, and the site that greeted her was marvellous. It was an oasis of green. Moonlight poured through the hole in the roof and green plants and moss grew all through the place but it was the trickling of water that caught her attention. She stumbled over to it and stuck her face into the cold water, drinking deep gulps of it. It was clean and fresh and she flopped onto her back, staring up at the clear Tachunka sky through the broken roof before she groaned and rolled back over.

She refilled her canteen and then got back onto wobbling legs. They shook and threatened to buckle but they kept her upright. She blinked slowly and her eyes were drawn to a perfectly white flower that rested on a pile of rubble. She moved over to it and sniffed it. It had a soft and soothing scent and realized she wanted to take it with her. She looked around for something to put it into before her gaze fell to her canteen. She unscrewed the cap and pulled the flower out before tucking its stem into her canteen. Once that was done she used the moonlight as a guide and once again moved.

On her endless path she found a small dagger, the handle was carved to a likeness of Kalros, the mother of all thresher maws, a heavy pendant necklace in the shape of an eye, and underneath a broken stone shelf she had found an ancient book wrapped in an oiled cloth. She tucked it all away, carrying them with her and she wandered further and further away from the oasis she had found through the crack in the wall. She was delirious by the time she crawled through another tiny crack, scraping her hands and knees up as she did so.

She fell into a giant room and she blinked slowly at the morning light that was coming through the high spaces where windows once rested. She narrowed her eyes and moved to the circular center of the room and fell to her knees. She covered her eyes, the light hurting them from spending so much time in the dark. There was a rumble around her and she was confused as her stomach had long since stopped rumbling for food. It wasn’t until the female shaman knelt in front of her that Pyjak remembered what she was doing and why she had done it.

“What have you brought us?” The female’s words were even and Pyjak sat up, her entire body shaking as she handed her the heavy necklace, the flower in her canteen, the wrapped book, and finally the dagger. The female shaman looked over the items before she spread them out in front of Pyjak. She pointed to the necklace. “Creation.” She pointed to the flower. “Life.” She carefully opened the oiled cloth of the book before she pointed to it. “Knowledge.” And lastly she picked up the dagger pulling it out of it’s sheath. “Duty.” She carefully cut a thin line into Pyjak’s cheek, staining the blade with the red of her blood. Pyjak was so out of it, she could barely feel it.

“You have found us the items we had visions of you requiring to complete your Rite. It is completed.” The words were somber and Pyjak gave a slow blink, her mind not truly processing what was happening. “However this is the most precious to us.” She rested a reverent hand on the cover of the book. “We have not had a book pulled from the ruins in over nine hundred years. Knowledge is power and it holds our culture and traditions. For such a find you have earned an unsung name.” Pyjak swayed and the female shaman gently picked up some of the fine red dirt from Tachunka and swiped it over Pyjak’s chin and then her forehead.

“Your unsung name will be Jaxyradi, the enduring one. Protect your unsung name, it is a great honour among females to hold one. We welcome you as our sister, Jaxyradi.” With the words said Pyjak felt the darkness rising up and she slipped into it without a fight.

~~~~

Pyjak woke up feeling like her body weighed as much as Wrex did with a horrid aftertaste in her mouth. She smacked her lips and attempted to stretch but failed miserably when her body refused to do what she needed it to do. She was in a rather uncomfortable cot but she was alive. The details in her memory as to how she got where she was were hazy at best but she was immediately awake at the remembrance that she had completed her Rite. She had done it and if she had the energy she would have danced. She wanted to tell Wrex all about it but she couldn’t find the strength to get off the bed.

The female shaman in the purple shroud came into view a bowl in her hands and she bowed her head. “Jaxyradi, I am glad to see you awake.” She came closer and dipped a spoon into the bowl before pulling it out and holding it to Pyjak’s mouth. She took it and was surprised at the familiar taste of chicken soup. “We had one of the male merchants acquire you some rations while you slept. You deserved the rest.” She continued to spoon her the soup and Pyjak was grateful for the food, even as her stomach protested slightly.

“You were on your Rite for eight days and came out in the Hollows, far off from where you entered and far from where we expected, Jaxyradi. You have slept for another two. Your father is worried for you but we have let him know you have completed your Rite. He will be by to pick you up as soon as we say you are ready to leave.” The female shaman continued to feed her. “Do you wish to know what we learned of you from your tributes?”

Pyjak nodded hastily and took another spoonful of soup. “Each Rite is different and it is a sacred thing. Some wish to tell others, some do not. How you treat your sacred journey is up to you. However we did learn some surprising things from what you brought us.” The shaman pulled out a bundle and set it on Pyjak’s legs. “The items you brought and how you presented them to us tell a story. _Your_ story.” She pulled them out and laid them on the blanket.

“You value creation and beauty, your first two items show us that is clear.” She gestured to the heavy pendant and the flower that was looking a little bit wilted. “With the placement of the items and the presentation of them. You value creation above all, the ability to make and create things with your own hands. This is where you find your most comfort and joy, in creating. However you are also drawn to the beauty in life, in all the forms it takes. This is shown in the dirt and roots you left on the flower. You do not value just the surface beauty that one sees, you value what makes the beauty, what holds the life of it. You place value in the entire whole, not just in the parts.”

The shaman gently shifted the pendant and the flower away before she gently and carefully uncovered the book. She gestured to the covered book. “However you strive the most for knowledge. This was the most precious thing you brought. The value you placed upon it is priceless, it is unsaid and does not need to be said. You strive for knowledge, you enjoy learning and absorbing all the knowledge you can.” She carefully covered the book back up and tucked it away. “But most of all, at your core, you believe your duty is to protect those of your clan.” She lifted the dagger and gently pressed it into Pyjak’s hands. “This is the last item you gave us, you held it close to you until the very last moment. This is what you have shown us is your core. Duty.” The word was said softly and Pyjak looked at the shaman and her amber eyes shimmered.

“Duty is your core and the symbol of the dagger is protection. The core of who you are is to protect those you love. This dagger, the images it is carved with, shows us that you do not willfully seek to end life, that you protect your clan and your loved ones with the fury and the duty as Kalros before you. The size shows that you do not gleefully go into war, that you do not mindlessly charge into battle, but that what you do, you do for the duty to protect others.” She gently curled Pyjak’s fingers around the dagger. “You are Jaxyradi, the unduring one and your core is the unending duty to protect others and those you love to your last breath.” The speech was intense and Pyjak didn’t quite know what to think of it all, of the story she had shown the shamans.

“Why is it surprising?” She frowned slightly and the shaman let out a low laugh.

“Because, it is rare we ever have a Krogan value creation and beauty and it is even rarer that they place such value on knowledge but it is rarer still for them to show us that their core is to not gleefully destroy and kill but merely to protect. It is surprising, Jaxyradi, but it is not something we do not like. Your story will be written, as they all are, but we will be waiting to see how your chapters unfold as you age. We will see if your short life will be worth more than the millions of krogans before you You have so much potential, Jaxyradi, we want to see you fulfill it.” The words faded and Pyjak thought about the name the female kept calling her.

“So it wasn’t a dream then?” Her voice rasped slightly and the female shaman hummed in question as she carefully placed the bundle of things away and then spooned her another bit of soup. “You gave me another name.” She had and Pyjak had believed it to be a hazy dream but it was real.

The female shaman shook her head. “ _We_ did, not I. There is always a chance a female will earn an unsung name. We collectively agree on what it should be in the three days the door to the city is locked. Whether or not she will earn the name is to be said by what she returns to us with. You brought us ancient knowledge, you earned the name Jaxyradi.” Pyjak frowned as the female gave her another spoonful of soup but took it. She had never heard of an unsung name. The concept was confusing.

“What is an unsung name?” She knew she would seem ignorant but she never had a krogan mother to teach her those things and she doubted pops would have known.

“It is a treasured secret. Names hold power, it is why us shamans give ours up. We are named by our mothers but that name is known to everyone around us. An unsung name is a special name, one that the female shamans give to those who have earned it. They are names that will be placed within our treasured stories and legends. They are powerful names with powerful meanings that are held close by their bearer.” She gave her another spoonful of soup. “You are the enduring one, Jaxyradi. The name is your power, your strength. You protect it. You treasure it. You live by it.” Pyjak rolled the words around in her mind, still slightly confused but okay with it all the same.

“Can you tell people it?” It seemed strange to have a name that no one could ever hear.

“Only those you treasure and love dearly. An unsung name is not to be sullied by those who do not care for you as you care for them.” That made more sense and Pyjak nodded, falling silent and letting the female shaman finish feeding her the soup. “Sleep and gain strength, Jaxyradi. Everything will be as it needs to be.”

“What about this?” She held out the dagger and the female gently laid a hand on it.

“This is yours. A symbol of your core. Keep it close.” At the words Pyjak nodded, clutching the dagger close to her chest as she watched the female leave. As much as she hated to admit it, she was still tired. She slipped the dagger underneath her pillow and within a few moments she was once again dead to the world around her.

~~~~

It took Pyjak two days to regain the strength she had lost and once she had, she dutifully built her own little tower of rubble among those of the females before her. She had finished and female shaman had tilted her head and told her it looked remarkably like Wrex and was decidedly ugly. Pyjak had cackled because that was exactly what she was going for. She didn’t really do creativity but there was a part of her that liked the idea of leaving a mark of her dad where she was.

It wasn’t long after that she could hear the approach of a tomkah. The female shamans had gathered and bowed at her, murmuring their goodbyes, her unsung name lingering in the air from their voices. Pyjak resisted the urge to hug them as she held her little cloth bag they had given her that contained a small jar of Tachunka earth to remind her of the planet she was now a daughter of, the dagger she had found as a reminder of her duty to her clan, and the rest of the chicken soup packets she hadn’t eaten. Krogans didn't really do physical affection and shamans were something else entirely so she bowed at them in return before the purple shrouded female gestured to the long exit.

“Your father awaits you to bring you into his clan. Go and rejoice, Jaxyradi. You are a krogan in spirit, if not in body.” She gave her a low bow that Pyjak returned before she turned and headed up towards where the harsh Tachunka sun was shining brightly. The trek was nearly enough to leave her winded, she wasn’t quite a hundred percent but the shamans had let her know she would be fine with a bit more rest and a bit more food.

She came to the end and Wrex paced outside of the tomkah, slamming his fists together and a wide grin split her face as she gave a gleeful laugh and bolted for him. “Pops! Pops!” At her call he whirled around and scooped her up as soon as she got close enough. She hugged him tightly, laughing as she did so. “I did it! I passed my Rite!”

“I heard! I knew you would crush it!” He bounced her up and down, the Tachunka dust kicking up as he moved and she resisted the urge to sneeze. “I'm so fucking proud of you, my girl.” He set her down and she felt her face flare red as tears entered her vision.

She felt a heavy lump in her throat as she swallowed. “ _Really_?” It came out like a croak and he paused before grabbing her shoulders and knocking his head gently against hers.

“There is _no one_ I am more proud of, Pyjak.” The words were almost enough to break her and she hastily wiped at her eyes, trying to get rid of the tears as he let her go.

She gave a chuckle as she wiped at her eyes again. “I earned an unsung name too.”

Wrex froze, staring at her intently. “You _what_?” He shook his head as if to clear away a thought before he tilted it.

“An unsung name.” She felt a bit more hesitant as she said it and he let out a loud whoop and scooped her up again, holding her on his arm as he bounced her around, celebrating with whooping and cheers. She laughed, more tears appearing as she tried to wipe them away. He sounded so fucking happy she didn’t know what to do with it.

He set her down and hugged her tight before shaking her a little. “There hasn’t been a female of Urdnot that has earned an unsung name in five hundred years! And I think she was the last one of most of the clans! Oh this is gunna chap Gatatog Uvenk’s hump raw!” He let her go and cheered some more, it was enough to have Pyjak grin so wide her cheeks hurt but she couldn’t stop. “This is amazing-NO! This is _more_ than amazing! I don’t know what other word there is for something that is more than amazing but in clan Urdnot it will now be your name!” Wrex grabbed her arms and then laughed before hugging her tight to his chest.

He let her go and went back to pacing. “I thought I was proud before but this is more than anything I could have imagined! Is this how my mother felt when I killed my thresher maw? This _must_ be how my mother felt when I killed my thresher maw.” He practically paced back and forth, vibrating with excitement before he grabbed her and lifted her up. He carried her around the tomkah while she giggled before he opened the hatch and shoved her into the vehicle, mindful she didn’t get bumped around. “Oh we're going to celebrate! I'm gunna to send word to Clan Korten to prep for the food.” He kept talking as he climbed into the tomkah before picking her up again and gently setting her in the seat next to the driver’s and buckling her in, continue to talk as he did so. “We'll get a feast going and we'll celebrate for the entire night-No! The next two days! NO! A full _week_!” He got into the driver’s seat and they pulled away as he continued to talk about the celebration.

“Pops.” At the word he stopped and glanced at her expectantly. “I love you.” The fact he was so excited and thrilled with what she accomplished made her almost want to cry but she reached over and grasped his arm.

He covered it with his own hand. “I love you too, my girl. I'm so going to spoil you when we get back. So much chocolate and I will get you a formal Urdnot armour made up.” He patted her hand, his excitement growing a bit more. “I might even get you that puppy you asked for! Or a new gun!” His excitement was almost infectious and Pyjak smiled at him softly. She was a daddy’s girl, through and through. There was no one she cared about more. She was sure about it.

“It’s Jaxyradi.” At the name he fell instantly silent and his grip on her hand tightened. “That is my unsung name. Jaxyradi. The enduring one.” She looked at him and he slowed the tomkah to a stop before he looked at her, his eyes looking almost glassy.

He lifted her hand and brought his head down to press the back of it to his forehead in an act of such reverence that it had a lump appearing in her throat. “It's a good name for a krogan female, a strong one. I will cherish it always. Thank you, Urndnot Pyjak Jaxyradi, for blessing me with hearing it.” He let her hand go and swallowed hard as he carefully went back to driving.

After a few silent minutes Pyjak shifted a bit uncomfortably, hating that she put a slight damper on his excitement. “We’re still gunna party right?” At the words Wrex immediately went back into loudly stating just how much they were going to party and who he was going to let know about it (everyone he could) and who he would invite (only those he could stand) and that he was going to rub Wreav’s face into it (for doubting her) before he was going to get Ratch to order her some alcohol (that she could actually drink) and gave her full permission to order her favourite foods for the party. He also insisted that yes, it would last a full week and that yes, he was going to make sure that it would be talked about in awe for the next two thousand years.

They made their way back to the Urdnot clan territory and he hastily got the tomkah parked as she got her out and lifted her up onto his arm, carrying her into the open space bellowing that she had completed her Rite and she had earned an unsung name and that they were going to party. The longer he bellowed the more and more krogans that joined in, cheering about her accomplishment.

Wrex lifted her higher once he reached the rough and broken dais that he was supposed to sit at to oversee the clan. “From this moment forward, Pyjak of no clan will forever be of the Urdnot clan, the first female in five hundred years to claim an unsung name! “ He bellowed the words out and Pyjak grinned wide, lifting her arms in triumph. “I claim Urdnot Pyjak for our clan!” Her name was bellowed through the space, echoing as the krogans took up the cheer.

Pyjak grinned as they continued to grow more and more excited. She looked down to where Wrex was bouncing her, thumping his chest as he bellowed out her name. That was her dad and he was _proud_ of her. Nothing in the universe meant more to her than that.


	9. Of Blackouts and Bad Jobs

**Four** **years later**

Pyjak groaned into the filthy couch cushion she was laying on, her head felt like it was going to split in two and her mouth felt like the ass end of a varren. Her brain felt like mush and her memories were hazy at best. She pushed herself up from the couch and blinked bleary eyes as she looked around.

“Bout time you woke up.” At the gritty rasp of a familiar voice she groaned and flopped back in the couch cushions. She muttered into them heatedly. “What’s that, kiddo? You need to speak up.” She turned her head to take in the familiar figure sitting at a rather broken looking kitchen table.

“What kind of piss was I drinking, Zee?” She grimaced as she smacked her lips. Her mouth felt disgusting and she knew that meant she had been drinking something that could barely count as alcohol.

“Uncut batarian ale.” He snorted slightly as she grimaced.

“So piss.” She made a pretend retching sound as she got off the couch, swaying slightly as she did so. Her head felt thirteen sizes too big and she resisted the urge to tip back over onto the couch.

“Bad hangover?” He took a drink of what she was pretty sure was coffee.

“I’ve had worse.” Yah, like the come down she had to do from the Urdnot clan celebration they had when she passed her Rite and earned her unsung name. Her stomach threatened to heave at the mere _remembrance_ of it. She could no longer drink tequila due to that fucking party and she doubted she would forget the two week long hangover she had for the rest of her life.

She stumbled to the grimy bathroom and after a few minutes she returned feeling marginally better, at least her mouth didn’t taste like she had been eating varren ass raw. “Feel better?” The old merc grunted it out as she stumbled to the coffee pot and grabbed it. There were no clean mugs so she grabbed a drinking glass and tossed some into it with a shrug.

She took a long drink of a rather disgustingly bitter liquid and it perked her up. “Once I down a cup of this shit I should be some what functional.” She flopped into a chair across the table from him and he grunted his agreement as he took his own gulp of coffee. After a few moments of silence she ran her hand through her short hair. “What the fuck happened?” There were bits and pieces but nothing really concrete.

“You came storming in here two days ago, madder than a prostitute given scale-itch for Christmas.” At the image the words inspired, she grimaced.

“I know that part. Fucking pops dumped me here and took off on a job.” It was just another job, pops had told her that as she had handed him his shotgun. She had made sure the mods were holding up and he carefully looked it over before telling her she wouldn’t be coming with him. Pyjak didn’t like that, not one single bit and then he had dumped her on Omega and took off without her anyway. “ _After_ that. What happened _after_ that, Zee?” She held her head in her hand as she took another drink of the coffee. She just wanted the energy and she hoped the sludge Zaeed made would function as a hangover remedy.

“We went to Afterlife, you kept ordering more and more bitching about Wrex leaving you on Omega. And then when you got cut off, we went to another bar I can’t even tell you the name of where you proceeded to get even more drunk off uncut batarrian ale.” At the mention of the drink she gagged. “I did tell you that you would regret that.” At the slightly amused ‘I told you so’ she flipped him off.

“Can it, old man.” She downed the rest of her glass and then blinked at him a few times, waiting for him to continue as he took a heavy drag of his own cup.

“Didn’t stop drinking for all of yesterday and you went into last night. Then you decided to get a tattoo and fell asleep while getting it. Once it was done, I dragged your sorry ass back here and dumped you on the couch to sleep it off.” At the words Pyjak let out a heavy groan.

“I _didn’t_.” A fucking tattoo? Why did she have to go and do a stupid thing like that?

“You did.” Yah, he was fucking amused to hell about that. She could hear it and she let out another groan.

“Please tell me you didn’t let me.” She didn’t want to look herself over to see what alcohol induced fuckery she decided to put on her own body. She was already feeling shitty enough and she didn’t have the credits to spare to get the fucking thing lasered off before pops spotted it and made the rest of her life hell by laughing his tail off. She would never live it down, she could practically hear it now.

“You were insistent.” He chuckled at her groan of despair.

“ _Zee_!” She ran her hands through her hair and tugged on the shorter strands. “How bad is it?” She practically whimpered and Zaeed set his coffee cup down.

“Oh come now, Jakkie, you don’t trust your uncle Zaeed?” His tone was mocking and he barked out a laugh at her as she gave another whimper. “I’m so upset you don’t trust me.” He pressed a hand to his armoured chest and gave her a mock expression of hurt. She groaned and smacked her head into the table. A move she instantly regretted as she had managed to smack her forehead into a mysteriously sticky spot. “Come on, kiddo.” She could hear him getting up and he moved around the table. With an ease that was almost surprising given his age, he grabbed her underneath her armpits and hauled her to her feet.

She gave another groan as he herded her to the bathroom. “It ain’t that bad.” He was finding far too much amusement in her

She gave another groan. “If it is pops will never let me live it down!” It wasn’t that she didn’t have tattoos, she did but she generally got them when she was sober and knew exactly what she was getting into.

“Oh come now. Just take a peek.” He stopped her and gestured to the cracked mirror. She honestly didn’t want to look at the regret she had inked into her but he nudged her roughly and she groaned but looked. It took a few seconds before she could place what was different and then looked down at her left shoulder and her arm. Geometric tattoo designs that were reminiscent of the designs found in Tachunka lost cities made their way down her shoulder and arm.

Her mouth dropped open as she twisted to see that the tattoo went from her shoulder down her back to meet with her original design she has started that spread across her shoulder blades and down her spine. She looked at Zaeed and he crossed his arms over his chest, looking smug. “Not fucking bad! How did you manage to get someone to do this? I had my other shit done on Tachunka.” The females had inked her when she decided she wanted a permanent reminder of home. They had actually been quite excited to do it really.

Wrex had used that as another excuse to throw a party. At that point Pyjak half wondered if the grumblings of people demanding he come home were because every time he returned there was one helluva party and they wanted the excuse to get absolutely shit faced. However the tattoos, while not something krogans usually did, turned out phenomenal on her back and she had been wanting to expand them for a while.

“Showed him those pictures of the krogan ruins you took and told him to make it match the one already on your back. I took you to a good guy, he tatted me up and he knew better than to fuck it up with me breathin’ down his neck.” At that Zaeed gave a rasping chuckle and Pyjak went on her toes and kissed his cheek with a heavy dose of affection.

“Skin weave fucking works wonders. Don’t even feel it.” She didn’t as she rolled her shoulders and rubbed at the tattoo to see if she could make it hurt. However there was nothing that she could even remotely feel registering as pain.

“Your pops paid good money for it. It should be good.” He gestured to her and they left the bathroom, going back to sit at the table. She had to agree, pops had paid good money for the skin weave, it better have been good. It had been her latest birthday present. He had been saving for it so when he told her that is what she got for her, she damn near cried like a baby. It made her a lot more resilient on job, little bits of shrapnel and her shield going down didn’t mean bad wounds to patch anymore. Any good bounty hunter needed some type of upgrades to keep themselves alive. Most usually relied on shields so she was ecstatic that he had gotten her the permanent upgrade, it made her feel a bit more krogan.

The front door shoved open and within a moment both had pistols aimed at the opening where Wrex came through, a deep scowl on his face. “Ever heard of knocking?” Zaeed muttered it out darkly as both he and Pyjak put their pistols back.

“Back early, pops.” Pyjak frowned slightly, he said the job would take a week and he was rolling in after only two days.

“That job didn't sit right with me. I left. Didn’t even wait to get paid.” He gave a shudder and she frowned, pops was never this rattled by a job.

She stood up, frowning as she did so. “What do you mean?”

“That shit was fucked up and the turian who gave us the job was fucked up. He was all sort of wrong. Saren Arterius he said he name was. It was just wrong. The entire situation was just _wrong_.” He gave another shudder before looking at her. “We should lay low, head out to one of those colonies and work as guards for a few months, I have a feeling some shit will follow me if we don’t.” Fuck he was spooked, Pyjak had never _seen_ him that spooked before.

She nodded her acceptance quickly. “Do you want me to scrub the ships identity tags and get her sent in for a patch and paint?” If he expected trouble, changing their ship’s appearance and id tags was the best way to shake some of the heat.

He nodded as he sat down on the couch. “I'm glad I didn’t take you with. That job was too good to be true. It was fucked, just _wrong_.” Zaeed stood up and picked a bottle of ryncol from his cupboard and handed it over to the krogan.

“Drink up. You look like you need it.” At the words Wrex cracked the top off and drained the bottle to half quickly. Pyjak opened up her omni-tool and put in a request to the closest paint and repair shop to come out and do the _Liberator_ , she would scrub the ID tags later, that was part was easy. She got a confirmation that they would be at the ship within the hour.

“Any specifics for the new name?” She glanced up at her pops as he finished the rest of the bottle but he shook his head.

“Call it the Tug and Rub.” Zaeed let out a good bellowing laugh at that even as Pyjak rolled her eyes, smiling.

“I’ll figure it out. It won’t take me long to make a new ID for it by overlaying the old ID and scrubbing it clean. Might not get past someone who really, really, _really_ wanted to find it but it will pass muster for fucking everything else.” She moved towards Wrex and he let out a heavy sigh.

“Fucking bad job. I didn’t like it. Gave me a bad feeling.” He muttered it out before his eyes landed on her. “You got more!” He pointed to her arm and she grinned at him, turning so he could look. “Pretty fucking spectacular. The skin weave hold up?” She nodded and he gave a small grin.

“Good. Would have tracked down the doctor and beat him within an inch of his life if didn’t.” He let out a chuckle and Pyjak eyed him a little bit. She was glad he was distracted but the fact the job left him so rattled that he wanted to take her to a far off colony for guard duty didn’t sit right with her. Something was going on but she wasn’t one to argue with him, not when he was that fucking rattled about it.

She didn’t know who Saren Arterius was and she didn’t want to fucking find out. Pops was right, they could handle guard duty for a few months, it was better that then getting fucked over and both of them ending up on the wrong side of a gun with no way to defend themselves.


	10. Of Spectres and Confusing Krogans

John Shepard knew how to handle life going south. His had done so constantly. His entire colony on Midoir had been wiped out by batarians, everyone had been taken or killed, even his family. His parents had been murder and his baby sister had been taken and he could only imagine what fucking horrors had been inflicted on her before she died as well.

Then there had been the Skyllian Blitz. Another batarian attack that he had helped repel. They liked to say he single handedly did it but John Shepard knew that he had help, he had gotten a small group together and they had worked well, even if they had been inexperienced. It had earned him the star of terra and the label hero that he honestly fucking hated. However, he knew what it was like to see shit go sideways. That was why he was open from help wherever it came from.

A dead Spectre, another to chase down, leads to chase because the Council wouldn’t listen. Shepard knew he should have expected pretty much all of it. However the giant ass krogan dressed in red armour he had not been expecting when he blew Fist’s face off but he never turned down help when the situation seemed dire. So he asked him along. He already had a turian and he then collected a quarian so a krogan didn’t see all that bad to add to the collection. He was good muscle and good with a gun, despite how loosely he used it in mixed company.

Shepard ran his hand through his hair as he looked at the krogan. They had gotten Saren’s Spectre status revoked and he had been given the title himself. Now he was just hoping that the krogan would agree to join their little mission. The seconds ticked by before the krogan finally shrugged. “Sure, I’ll come with you but I have a carry along.” Urdnot Wrex stared at Shepard and he blinked at him.

“A carry along?” Shepard watched as he gave a curt nod.

“Yup. Can’t leave my baggage on the Citadel. It comes with.” There was no room for argument in his voice and Shepard sighed and ran his hand through his hair once more.

“Fair enough.” He didn’t exactly understand why it was mentioned at all but people were allowed to have some baggage to bring with them. After all it was a near suicide mission to find a rogue spectre, he didn’t know how long it would take them to get the mission done and over with but he had a feeling it would be a while.

“Aright then.” With that Wrex turned on his heels and started walking away. Shepard jolted and hurried to match his pace.

“Commander?” At Kaiden’s voice he waved him off.

“You two can head back. I’ll be back later.” He glanced at Ashley and then Kaiden and both looked like they wanted to argue and Shepard sighed. “That’s an order.” With the words lingering he caught up to Wrex. He liked the krogan. Was a bit too trigger happy but he fit right in with the damned turian. Both were excellent shots though so he couldn’t begrudge their want to help in the beginnings of the investigation. He needed all the help he could get.

They made their way down to the docks and Wrex was intent, not saying anything, just grunting in response to the attempts at small talk Shepard made so it fell into a deep silence that kind of grated on Shepard but he didn’t push the krogan. They could be unpredictable and he really didn’t want to deal with the headache getting headbutted by one would cause.

They slowly made their way through the various port openings and finally stopped in front of a rather beat up ship named _Kalros_. “Get out of there.” Wrex growled it and Shepard looked at him with confusion before the door to the airlock opened.

A human female stepped outside at Wrex’s words. “What’s up, pops?” She yanked a grease rag from her pocket and wiped her hands as she looked at the scarred krogan.

“Gotta job. Gunna leave the old girl sitting here for a while.” He stated it as he leaned down and thumped his head against hers in what looked to be affection. “Shepard, this is the carry along. Her name is Pyjak.” Shepard didn’t know what he expected the carry on to be but he hadn’t been expecting what it was. She was _human_ , definitely younger than him. Shortly cropped red hair, grease smeared across her cheek, various scars and tattoos that he could see under her black tank top, and a pair of startling green eyes.

The female looked him up and down before grinning at him and giving him a salute.“Military, pops? You’re getting deep into the bureaucracy, old man.” At the taunting words the krogan merely grunted as he got into the shuttle. “What hole did you crawl out of where pops managed to find you?” At the familial term Shepard was more confused than ever.

“Chora’s Den- I’m sorry but how do you know Wrex?” He shifted his weight on his feet and she gave a lazy shrug.

“She’s a parasite. A vent rat. A little pyjak who eats all my food.” Wrex jumped out of the shuttle, two cases in his arms. He tossed the smaller one at Pyjak, who caught it without even looking.

“And you snore so loud you are giving me tinnitus.” She made a face and Wrex shoved her shoulder with a laugh.

“When you get older, you’ll snore just as loud as me, Pyjak. Not look half as pretty though.” He chortled as she rolled her eyes before stuffing her rag into her pocket and launching at him. They seemed to be fighting, wrestling more than anything else but in the end she lay draped over his hump, her hands gripping the edge of his forehead plate.

Shepard opened his mouth and then closed it as Wrex didn’t even seem to care as he grabbed the second case and started walking. He glanced over right as Pyjax knocked on Wrex’s forehead plate with a smirk. “Do that again I will pile drive you into the floor.” At the growled warning she snickered before rubbed at the scarred plate with a heavy dose of affection and then went practically limp.

Shepard wanted to ask, he wanted to know how the fuck there was that much ease between them that Wrex was willing to cart her around like he was and she was willing to playfully headbutt and torment the old krogan. However he held his tongue, not sure how to broach the subject or even try to start a conversation while she was draped over him like a blanket.

He stewed in his confusion the entire way back to the Normandy, Captain Ander- No, _his_ ship. He had to get used to that. He was still upset that they had essentially grounded Captain Anderson and yanked his command away from him but he did like the thought of having his own ship. Especially one like the Normandy. She was a fine piece of technology, that much was for sure.

They made it to the docking bay and he glanced over at the krogan and the human and she had her eyes closed and seemed to be pretty much sleeping, but her hands were still gripping the edge of his face plate. “This is the Normandy. My ship.” It felt weird saying it but it didn’t stop it from being true.

“Looks fancy.” Wrex grunted it out before jumping into the air. He hit the ground and Pyjax jolted awake with a startled noise, her grip on his face plate growing tighter as she looked around while Wrex set their cases down.

“For fuck’s sake, pops!” She scowled as she slapped his face plate with agitation and immediately flopped back over his hump as Wrex chortled his amusement, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

“Time to get up.” He reached up and she swatted his hands away, the scowl deepening on her face as she seemed to fight with him. Shepard watched in utter amazement as within a few moments Wrex had his hands around her waist and hauled her off his hump while she struggled, both frowning and pouting at the same time as he deposited her on her feet. “Behind me, Pyjax.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sniffed but when he gripped the top of her head, a deep scowl on his face, she nodded and relaxed her position before shuffling over to stand behind him, a hand on his back.

Wrex grunted at him and Shepard jolted out of his intense staring, his face wanting to heat up and he hurried to the air lock. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as Wrex lumbered towards him, cases in hand and Pyjax barely being seen behind him at all. They all stopped in the decontamination chamber before Shepard lead them through the CIC and towards the stairs.

“I’ll show you where you will be staying while on the ship.” He was happy to have more allies for hunting Saren, the thought of the turian left a sour taste in his mouth. “I’ll let you know when we will be leaving the station to start on our search for Saren. We have a mostly human crew but I hope you will settle in nicely.” At the words Wrex let out another grunt.

Shepard was fairly positive he heard the little female named Pyjax quietly say the name Saren in a wary tone but Wrex gave a low growl that drowned it out. Shepard glanced at the Krogan once more but his expression gave nothing away and he still couldn’t spot the woman behind him as they entered the elevator.

It took them down to the cargo hold and he pointed to the lockers. “Go ahead and pick one, I’ll requisition another cot for you, Miss Pyjax.” At the name the woman and Wrex burst into laughter.

She peeked around his back, her grin wide. “It’s Urdnot Pyjax, Pyjax is my name, not my surname.” She rolled her eyes and Wrex continued his amused chuckle as he headed for the lockers. He left her case on the floor and Pyjax grabbed it but didn’t follow him.

“Do you know Saren?” Shepard looked at her and she raised an eyebrow but her mouth remained shut.

“Where am I sleeping?” Wrex’s voice was practically a low growl and John pointed to the cot pushed against the wall and Wrex gave a small grunt. “It’ll do.” John glanced around and spotted Ashley by the weapons bench, she was staring at him hard, her gaze going from him to Pyjak and back again, her eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to ask her what was wrong but Wrex returned to his side and Pyjak headed for the lockers.

Shepard watched as she shoved her case next to Wrex’s locker before unerringly finding the krogan’s cot and flopping into it gracelessly before almost immediately falling asleep once more. “That’s how you know she's mine.” Wrex said it with a grunt and Shepard glanced at him. “She falls asleep quick and easy and if you try to wake her, she _will_ shoot you in the face.” He gave a wide and wicked looking grin.

“So when you say she’s yours...” Shepard coughed lightly, clearing his throat. “How does that work?”

“She ain’t from my quad but I raised her all the same. Batarian slavers had taken her from I don’t care where and I found her in their ship’s ventilation system. Little pyjak she was. Been with me nearly eighteen years. But she’s mine, I’ve go the paperwork to prove it.” He shook his head. “Eats me out of house and home, though. Fucking little pyjak.” He raised his voice as he looked at the cot where the human was sprawled out.

“Love you too, pops.” She called it out over the space as she lifted her head from the cot and Wrex laughed loudly. “Laugh again and I’ll break your face with my skull.” There was a heavy warning to her voice that had Wrex laughing harder.

“Try it, you hairless pyjak! Settle this once and for all!” Wrex pounded his fists together and Shepard watched as Pyjak shot out of the bed and launched at Wrex. The two wrestled around, the floor vibrating as Wrex hit the floor and they rolled around more. Grunts and growls escaped them both but there didn’t seem to be any animosity between them. “Fuck! Always with the teeth!” Wrex grunted and Shepard watched as he shook his arm where Pyjak had indeed bitten him rather hard. She let him go and grinned at him, baring her teeth. He laughed loudly, knocking his head into hers. “Krogans headbutt, not bite.”

“Maybe you _should_ bite!” She snapped her teeth at him with a laugh and Shepard watched in utter fascination at their relationship as Pyjak sprung to her feet before helping heave the large, nearly eight hundred pound krogan off the floor. “Come on, pops. It was another tie. We can settle this one day but not today.” With that she moved back over to the cot and once again flopped onto it.

John didn’t know what to fucking say as the large krogan gave a low chuckle, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked to where Pyjak was flopped onto his cot. “I did right by her. Feral little thing isn’t she?” He puffed out his chest proudly with a grin and Shepard didn’t know what to say so he just gave a half-hearted nod.

What the fuck was going on?

“When you guys get a chance, introduce yourselves to everyone and then head up to the second floor to get checked out by Doctor Chakwas.” He looked at the krogan as he nodded and he glanced over a the cot and to his surprise the woman flashed him a thumbs up without removing her face from the thin pillow.

He blinked rapidly before turning back to the elevator. That was fucking weird but as it was, he needed to finish doing what he needed to do and then make sure the turian found himself on board and they didn’t leave him behind.

The door to the elevator closed and he rubbed his forehead. “A fucking krogan.” He had never ever heard of a krogan taking in a human kid but the fact she called him pops and they were affectionate let him know that no, they were indeed a family unit.

A fucking krogan.

It was enough to make his brain hurt to try and understand.


	11. Of Racists and Questions for Quarians

The cot was uncomfortable but Pyjak didn’t care, she was still half hungover from the party they had with the colonists they had been hanging out guarding when they learned that her and pops were leaving. Wrex had picked up another job, one for the Shadow Broker and it allowed some iota of protection from that freaky bird Saren Arterius. Pops had been right to get out when he did and then to hide out in the back end of the galaxy. All of the other mercs who stayed and got paid, ended up fucking dead.

The ship was a little quieter than she was used to and it was new but she felt safe enough with Wrex standing guard to relax and drift aimlessly on the border of unconsciousness. The hangover was a big one and it didn’t help that she had still been drunk by the time they had left the colony in the morning. She had been half drunk by the time they reached the Citadel and she slept the rest of it off before pops had pinged her to let her know to pack their cases and get ready for him to pick her up.

Still she was a little amused at the thought of her pops wanting to hitch his cruiser to the military but she figured if it was to go after Saren, Wrex would do it. The guy was a loose end that had a very big chance of putting her in the crosshairs and pops wasn’t one to put up with that. What he didn’t trust he kept away from her and what he knew was dangerous and had a scent, he helped track down and kill. Underneath that tough krogan exterior was a big old softy, not that she would ever say that out loud.

Wrex nudged her shoulder slightly and she grunted. “I’m heading upstairs to see this doc. Maybe she just wants to feel up my quad.” At his low chuckle she had to grin as she turned her face to peek at him. He gave her a look and she nodded, turning her head more fully so she could keep an eye on the full cargo bay. He nodded in return before lumbering off to the elevator.

She glanced around, looking at the various people she could spot in the cargo hold and became more than aware of one slinking closer to her. “Can I help you?” She shifted her head to look at the dark haired woman in the white and pink armor. She made a face at that. The white would turn disgusting if it saw any amount of combat, she knew that from experience, and the pink was just garish.

“Do you know the commander?” The question was asked low and Pyjak lifted herself up onto her elbows and threw a look at the woman.

“Who the fuck is that?” She frowned in confusion. She knew fucking nothing about what was going on aside from the fact that on this ship, they were going to hunt down Saren Arterius and Wrex wanted him dead so they were to join. She went where her pops did in most cases and if not she would get dropped off on Omega to chill with family friends. If you could even call old merc buddies family friends.

“ _Shepard_.” The name was stressed and Pyjak raised an eyebrow at the other woman.

“Not ringing any bells there, honey bun.” She flopped back onto the cot, ready to just tell the woman to fuck off. She didn’t know jack shit about anything.

“Excuse me- _did you just call me honey bun_?” Her voice pitched upwards and Pyjak’s mouth twitched upwards slightly.

“I did.”

“I am Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 2nd Frontier Division, _not_ honey bun.” She practically spat the words out and Pyjak felt a grin growing on her face. Well wasn’t that a lovely sore spot to poke at?

“Well, then. Someone is a bit upsetti this morning.” She lifted her head to look at the woman as she sputtered, her face going a bit red.

“Just answer my question!” At the slightly raised and sputtered question Pyjak rolled onto her back before sitting up.

“I don’t know anyone on this ship besides my pops, sugar tits.” She pushed off the cot and stood up. “And nice bubble gum armor. I grew out of that phase by the time I turned six.” She had. Pink and her did not get along and she was perfectly fine with that. It had never been her colour, she was more partial to red or blue herself.

“Why are you even here?” The woman put her hands on her hips, scowling at her and Pyjak gave her a toothy grin.

“Where pops goes, I go. _Lucky_ you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her weight on one hip as she watched the woman.

Her face twisted slightly, “Wait with pops do you- you mean that fucking behemoth of a monster _krogan_? He can barely be considered civilized!” The incredulity in her voice barely registered as Pyjak set her jaw, shook her hands out, took two steps, and head butted the woman’s face hard. No one spit that venom at her pops. The woman hit the deck with a yelp, grabbing her nose with a curse, her eyes wide with shock.

“That’s my fucking dad. Keep your fucking mouth shut.” Pyjak stood over her, a dangerous look on her face. The woman was tough, she would giver her that, she didn’t cry or blubbered but her eyes spelled murder or retaliation, something Pyjak just hoped she followed through with. “Where I grew up, if you didn’t want to get your nose smashed in, you kept your xenophobic bullshit to yourself. Remember that.” She crossed her arms over her chest and there was a harsh shout from across the cargo bay that drew her attention.

The darker haired man that was with pops came storming over. “What the fuck?” His expression was furious as he moved to Ashley and helped her to her feet, checking her bleeding nose as he did so.

“Bubble gum princess should learn to keep her xenophobic shit stuffed in her mouth.” Pyjak couldn’t help the smirk she gave as saw just how spectacularly her nose was gushing.

“Go see Chakwas, chief.” At the orders the woman nodded and walked off, pinching her nose as she tilted her head back. The man whirled around on her. “We don’t headbutt crew members!” He jabbed a finger at her and Pyjak blinked at him,

“See, I headbutt racists.” She gave him a toothy grin and he practically vibrated as he narrowed his surprisingly green eyes at her.

“I don’t care what she said. Another action like that and you will be kicked off this ship.” He jabbed his finger at the elevator and Pyjak rolled her head on her shoulders before she squared up with him.

“So you are okay with her calling alien crewmates uncivilized monsters? Is that the stance you want to take? Because if it is, I will gather my shit, I will gather my pops’ shit, and we will _both_ leave. Because I ain’t dealing with that bullshit. We have a ship, we don’t have to be here.” She was more than ready to take their shit and go. She was fairly positive neither of them needed the job _that_ much.

He narrowed his eyes at her before he shoved his hands to his hips and paced a few steps and then back again. “I’ll talk to Williams about her attitude but you are on _thin_ ice.” He pointed at her again and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“As long as her and her ilk keep my pops’ good name out of their xenophobic, racist ass mouths, there won’t be a problem from me but if I hear it again...” She gave a small tsk. “As I said, I headbutt racists.” And she did so liberally. Always had.

“Headbutting? _Headbutting_?” He sounded incredulous and borderline hysterical. “Why can’t you throw a punch like a _normal_ person?”

She gave him a confused shrug. “Headbutting _is_ normal.” At the words he opened his mouth like he wanted to respond before her closed it, then opened it again before closing it, and then ended up simply pinching his nose while letting out a long and deep breath as if he were trying to control his temper.

“I walked into that one.” He walked away from her. “I walked into that one. I don’t know what I was expecting.” He made his way across the cargo hold and Pyjak fought back a laugh as he stopped and looked at her again. “No more headbutting. I mean it when I say you will be kicked off the ship.”

“And I will gladly bend over so you can boot my ass on the way out.” She gave him a mocking salute and he stared at her, his expression disbelieving, of her words or her attitude she wasn’t sure, before he muttered to himself and got into the elevator.

“Keelah, what was that about?” At the new voice Pyjak snapped her head to spot a quarian dressed in purple.

“Oh my god.” Her voice trailed off as excitement filled her. A goddamn quarian! “Yo!” The quarian jumped as Pyjak marched over to her, she looked half a second from sprinting int eh other direction. “You legal age?”

“ _What_? Yes. I am on my pilgrimage.” She sounded a bit kilter but Pyjak didn’t care, she had never seen a quarian before.

“Good because I have _so_ many question to ask you and not all of them are okay for the ears of minors.” A person heard rumors, of course they did, but she was never one to just believe any old rumor that was told. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to wins arguments that had lasted for _years_.

The quarian tilted her head and Pyjak was aware she was staring at her, the silence was very telling. “You... you don’t want to call me a suit rat?”

“Fuck that shit. What do you do when you fart in your suit?” At the question the quarian let out a sound that was like between a squawk and a strangled chicken as she reared back.

She sputtered slightly behind the glass of her mask, “P-pardon me?”

“You heard me.” Pyjak leaned into her, looking her over. She was so fucking curious. She had so many questions to ask her. She _would_ win those arguments once and for all.

“ _Keelah,_ you are intense.” The quarian crossed her arms over her chest, leaning away from her slightly

Pyjak fought back at the blush she felt as she slowly eased back to give the quarian room. “Yah, sorry about that, my pops is a krogan. Can you answer it? I want to win a bet.” Uncle Zee had been positive they released valves for when they farted, Pops had stated that they constantly lived in their own gasses and Pyjak was positive they had built in systems to deal with it.

“A bet? Okay. We have built in filters but air from our suits don’t go into our oxygen systems so it doesn’t really matter.” At the words Pyjak fist bumped the air with an excited yes. She was so gunna be able to pull that shit out and rub it into both their faces. The quarian shifted on her feet. “Your father is... krogan? You aren't Asari though...” She seemed to look her up and down and Pyjak waved the question away slightly, she was used to that.

“I’m human and yes he is.” She tilted her head. “How do you bump uglies?”

“What?” The quarian shifted back again, tilting her head in confusion.

“Smack the quad against the two mountains?” Pyjak held out a hand as if to help her remember.

Her head tilted further. “The _what_?”

Pyjak frowned, well that didn’t work. “Ride with Kalros.” She held out her hand again and the quarian shook her head. “Make the beast with two humps?” Another head shake later and Pyjak was blinking rapidly before she decided to go all in. “Get a pump and chump? Smack the thresher maw? Ride the slick slide to boom town? The face plate leg shake? The horny how you do and chase around? Meeting the major and slapping his four cadets? The quad toss around? The headboard and face plate meet and greet?” The quarian kept shaking her head and Pyjak was quickly running out of euphemisms.

“Those are all too krogan based aren’t they?” She bit her lip before she winced slightly. “Slip and slide between the suits?” She held out her hand again and the quarian definitely let out a squawk at that.

“ _Keelah_ , you are asking about how we have s-” The quarian cut herself off and Pyjak grinned with relief. At least something got through.

“Yeah! You got it!” She continued to grin at the quarian, happy she was at least on the same page.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.” She pressed a gloved hand to her mask, shaking her head.

“Laugh?” Pyjak was hopeful that it was laugh. If she laughed about it then it would make it seem a little less awkward.

“We don’t really talk about that with strangers.” The quarian’s voice as a little tight and Pyjak, pinched her lips together before rubbing the back of her neck a bit sheepishly.

“Sorry, I got really excited and I don’t really have a concept of verbal boundaries.” That hadn’t been high on Wrex’s to do list when raising her, no krogan really had that little person in their head telling them not to say the shit that popped into their head.

“Well if your father is a krogan I can understand... they are a bit...” The quarian drifted off and Pyjak narrowed her eyes slightly. “ _Uncouth_ so I have heard.” She relaxed at that, happy that she wouldn’t have to test the patience of that high and mighty guy again. Besides she was fairly positive she would break the quarian's suit if she did that.

“Yah we don’t have a filter between our brains and our mouths. We think it and it just pops out.” That was the honest truth. The krogan males never thought before they spoke, there was a reason headbutting was so common. Half the time it was to correct unintended insults.

“Why do you have so many terms like that for it?” The quarian shook her head slightly but sounded curious.

“Sex?” Pyjak flicked her thumbnail against her index finger as she watched as the quarian nodded. She shrugged. “I dunno to be honest.” She honestly didn’t but living around mercs and bounty hunters, you learned an awful lot of them.

“Are all humans like you?” the question was asked quietly as the quarian shifted on her feet as if a bit uncomfortable asking it at all.

Pyjak beamed at her. “Nah, I’m special.” She reached out towards the quarian. “My name’s Urdnot Pyjak.”

To her surprise the quarian gave her hand a shake. “Tali’Zorah nar Rayya. Pleased to meet you.” She doubted that but Pyjak wasn’t going to call her out. They dropped hands and there was a small bit of uncomfortable silence before Tali cleared her throat. “What was that last one you used?” At the words Pyjak felt a grin crawl across her face.

“The suits one?” At the prompt Tali shook her head. “Oh the headboard and face plate meet and greet.” To her surprise Tali giggled before she nodded.

“That one, yes. Keelah, it’s so bad!” She snorted and Pyjak couldn’t help but laugh with her. She was right. It was kind of terrible. Hilarious but terrible 


	12. Of Rants and Unexpected News

Pyjak and Tali headed up the elevator, it turned out the quarian was heading to Doctor Chakwas for a quick look over as well. “So what was happening when I walked in?” Tali tilted her head and Pyjak fought back a smirk at the reminder.

“Oh bubble gum princess found out what happens when someone’s racist in front of me.” And she would do it again, getting her ass kicked off the ship or not. No one acted like that in front of her. Especially not when it was aimed at her pops.

“Bubble gum _what_?” Tali tilted her head, the confusion apparent both in her posture and her tone.

“The chick in the pink and white armour. I think her title was like Gunnery something, I don’t know.” Pyjak waved the question away, she didn’t particularly care what the woman’s name was. If she wasn’t going to keep her xenophobic bullshit to herself, Pyjak didn’t want anything to do with her. In fact she would be ecstatic if they never talked ever again.

“Oh, what did she say?” Tali hummed slightly in interest and Pyjak made a face.

“She called my pops an uncivilized monster.” Just the thought of it made a heated anger boil in her stomach. “She doesn’t even know him! He’s taken care of me since I was like four years old! He’s a little rough around the edges but who cares? He went through the bureaucratic bullshit on the Citadel to adopt me when I was sixteen and he got me a chance to do my Rite on Tachunka and he buys me chocolate and spoils me on my birthday. I mean he got me the most advanced skin weave you could get on my last birthday _and_ got me chocolate cake. And he _hates_ chocolate!” She huffed, ranting slightly. “She just judged him on _what_? What she _thinks_ krogan are like? It’s _bullshit_!” Shee resisted the urge to grind her teeth as she scowled, kicking at the floor of the elevator slightly.

“Sorry. It just gets me a little heated because he’s just this wonderful dad, he always has been to me and everyone treats him like-” She couldn’t even begin to explain it.

“Like he doesn’t belong, like he’s something to hate?” Tali rested her gloved hand on her shoulder and Pyjak nodded.

“I could be eighty years old and I’ll still be his little girl, you know? Will probably still fall asleep on his hump.” She could only imagine that he would still allow it, or allow her to crash, flopped against him in the ship before he could carry her to some sort of bed or couch. He had done that since she was little and he still did it. Granted now it was more carrying her drunk ass back to the ship but he still did it. “He’s my dad and I love him so much because he wants to give me the world and he tries his damnedest to do just that. Having someone hate him without even knowing him just chaps my non-existent hump.”

“Keelah, he sounds like a really great father.” She said it softly and Pyjak nodded.

“He is.” She gave a small chuckle and wiped at her nose, hating how emotional she was feeling about it all. “A complete and total asshole at times though, don’t get it wrong but he’s my dad and there is no one else I would want in my corner more than him. And not just because fighting a krogan in close quarters is a fucking terrible idea.” The elevator door opened and they both stepped out.

“Me and my dad were never that close. I always wondered what it would be like.” At the words, Pyjak felt a jolt of sympathy.

“Well fuck. I didn’t want to bring down the mood.” She rubbed at her face before shoving her hand through her hair. “Want me to tell you more euphemisms for sex?” She pitched her tone up hopefully and then laughed when Tali shook her head with a shudder.

“Urdnot Pyjak.” At the boom she made a face and turned to where Wrex stormed towards her. “Fucking good headbutt with great control! You broke her nose but didn’t smash it completely!” He grabbed her arms and thumped his forehead against her own. “Proud of you!” He grinned at her and she grinned right back as he let her go.

“Did Mr. Self-righteous get on your quad about it?” She made a face at the thought. So like someone like that to tattle to her pops about her behaviour.

“He told me to rein you in but I said if she got her face smashed in she probably deserved it.” At the low laugh he gave with it she felt utterly smug.

“She did.” She gave a smug nod as she said it and Wrex chuckled.

“I knew it. It’s like I know you or something.” He poked her side and she chuckled as she poked him back.

“Fancy that.” She glanced over as Tali shifted on her feet, her body language looking decidedly uncomfortable and uncertain. Pyjak took a step back, “Pops, this is Tali’Zorah nar Rayya, Tali this is pops, better known as Urdnot Wrex.” She gestured between the two and Wrex stared at her hard, his eyes narrowing before he stuck out his hand. Tali shook it firmly and he grunted in response. “You also owe me sixty credits! Quarians suits have special systems in place in their suits for when they fart. Pay up.” She held out her hand with a smug grin and he scowled at her and muttered but slapped a credit chit into it anyway.

“Little shit.” He knocked his head against hers before he got into the elevator and was off to the cargo bay.

She waved the credit chit at Tali. “See? Knowledge is wealthy.” She laughed to herself as she tucked the credit chit into her back pocket. She loved having the ability to win those obscure little bets she had with all the mercs, especially her pops.

“I didn’t except that to be honest. He seems really proud of you.” Tali said it hesitantly, as if afraid to point it out and Pyjak grinned.

“Oh he told me that there is no one he is more proud of. Even when I am headbutting racist assholes for being racist.” She shrugged before she gestured to Tali. “We should probably see this doc before she comes looking for us armed with scalpels. “Tali nodded and they came around the corner to what looked to be a dining area and a door opened off to the side. Pyjak watched as bubble gum princess came out, a decent looking bruise sported on her face with her nose tapped up. She gave her a wicked smirk as the woman scowled at her and headed to the dining room rather quickly.

“Ahhhh, I see our second resident krogan has decided to visit.” A stern looking woman with grey hair crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at her and Pyjak lifted her hand and gave her a sarcastic wave.

“Urdnot Pyjak, at your service.” She gave a flourishing bow and then snapped back to standing straight. “I have also brought the lovely Miss Tali’Zorah along with me.” She gestured to the quarian and the doctor nodded.

“Fine with me. In you go.” She gestured to the medical bay and Pyjak sauntered into. She looked across the space and locked eyes with the bubble gum princess who was sitting at a table. She gave a wide grin and snapped her a sharp salute. Seeing her all bruised and tapped up quelled some of her agitation with her xenophobic remarks against her pops.

“What do you need from me, doc?” Pyjak stuck her hands into her pockets and rocked back and forth on her feet.

“General check up, need a baseline for your health to compare too. Basically to make sure you are fit for duty.” The doc gestured to one of the cots, her attention on the data pad she had picked up. “Miss Tali’Zorah, I just need a copy of your suit’s readouts and you should be good to go.” Tali nodded and brought up her omni-tool while Pyjak jumped up onto one of the cots, kicking her feet slightly.

“Does your head hurt?” The doc came over, a pen light in hand as she grabbed her face, shining it into her eyes.

“From the headbutt? Nah. I’m used to it, pretty thick skull.” She ignored the light, knowing it wouldn’t show much of anything in regards to a concussion. She had knocked her head hard enough that she had gotten used to it, plus the bone weave upgrades she had gotten to her skull and neck after she had accidentally fractured her skull when she was fifteen helped a lot.

“I bet.” The doctor tucked the pen light away and grabbed her arm, and putting a heart rate monitor on it. “Not a very good way to make friends.” She gave her a glance and Pyjak shrugged.

“I don’t like being friends with racists.” She looked over to where Tali was still fiddling with her omni-tool.

“I supposed there is that, however I would appreciate in-fighting be left to sparring on mats and not leaving crew members with broken body parts. Please and thank you.” Her tone was sharp and Pyjak resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the doctor started the machine, before grabbing a needle and drawing some blood.

“So polite.” It wasn’t that Pyjak was unused to politeness, it was just growing up in the environment she did, it was generally unneeded and useless. The cuff of the machine tightened on her arm as the doctor turned around and moved to a machine where she did something with the vial of blood and Pyjak made a face at how uncomfortable the cuff on her arm was. She never got used to that squeezing pinch.

“Let me guess, just like with Wrex, it is wasted on you.” The doc came back with a datapad and tapped it against the heart rate monitor when it beeped to download the data.

“Nah, pops just says that to the ladies he thinks are pretty.” She winked at the doctor, who gave a shocked laugh. She cut it off and looked at her as if she wasn’t sure she was joking or not. Pyjak just winked at her again.

“I have the readouts, Dr. Chakwas.” Tali held out an OSD and the doctor turned with a smile.

“Oh thank you, Tali. Just put it on the desk and I’ll put it into the system after I am done with our secondary krogan.” She gave Pyjak another look and she just grinned. Tali did as she was asked and was soon gone with a small wave that Pyjak returned.

She looked back at the doctor. “You say that as a joke but I’m an official member of the Urdnot clan. I passed my Rite and everything.” She said it a tad smug but it was something to be proud of. She was the only non-krogan krogan who had ever been given a place in the clan or a chance to do a Rite.

“Oh I know. Wrex told me all about it. He is quite proud of you.” She flicked through the data pad, “Your bpm is-”

“97 beats per minute, blood pressure is 116/75mmHg, give or take a few numbers depending on what time of the day it is and when I last ate. Breathing rate is generally around 25, but it and everything else tends to spike when I go out on a job. It takes roughly thirty minutes to an hour to get everything back to normal. If its a _really_ exciting job it will take me a coupe hours to cool down. Which is well within normal parameters. Oh, and my resting temp is usually 98 degrees.” She rattled it off, looking at the doctor, a smile threatening her as it tugged at her mouth. “Pops is meticulous about my heath. Got into the habit when I was sixteen and hasn’t let up since.” After the Alliance had taken her, he had made it his goal to ensure that she was perfectly healthy and he kept records of it so if the Alliance came back he could prove to them he was being a competent parent. He _really_ didn’t want her to be taken away again.

“I have my medical records back on the _Kalros_ if you want them.” She gave a flippant wave of her hand before looking at the doctor, who was staring at her while she pressed her lips together in a straight line. “I’m also up to date on all my vaccines and immunizations. I even got that dextro-levo allergy therapy immunization, the new one ten phase one that removes the allergy entirely. I can eat dextro food now, won’t really make me healthy but I could survive a bit longer on it if I had to. Better than starving to death with an empty stomach.” She shrugged slightly.

“Oh, I also have a bone weave in my skull and my neck that I got at fifteen as well as the newest skin weave that pops got me for my twenty-second birthday.” She gripped the edge of the cot and blinked at the doctor who frowned slightly before turned back to the data pad and started tapping on it rather quickly.

“The tattoos, are they new?” The doctor gestured to her as here eyes scanned the pad and she continued to tap on various parts of the screen.

“Yah, can’t give blood for about another seven months.” Pyjak rubbed at the tattoos with a smile. They were pretty fucking awesome. She really needed to remember to ask Zee how to contact the guy who did them because she would love her other arm to be done as well.

“It isn’t usual that I get a patient who keeps track of their vitals as well as a quarian. I’m impressed.” She lifted the data pad slightly befor emoving over and setting it on the cot beside Pyjak. She grabbed her arm and rubbed at her skin, looking it over as she tested the functionality of the skin weave. “No signs of rejection at all? Infection?” The doctor gave her a quick glance, her expression serious but questioning.

Pyjak shook her head quickly. “Nope, they took to me perfectly, just like the bone weave.” At the words the doctor grabbed Pyjak’s head and rubbed at her forehead.

“I can see why your assault on Gunnery Chief Williams didn’t leave you with a mark or a concussion. You’ve had some krogan upgrades.” At the words and the quirked eyebrow that followed, Pyjak grinned again.

“You gotta keep up somehow. Pops wants to make me as durable as possible. Humans are too squishy.” If that wasn’t the truth, Pyjak didn’t know what was. The machine on the wall pinged and the doctor moved over to it, tapping on the screen before she froze, staring at whatever was on the screen before she tapped it rather aggressively. There was a pause before it pinged again and the doctor stared at it hard. “Something wrong there, doc?” Pyjak frowned as the doctor lifted a finger and headed for the door.

She pressed a button and leaned down. “Commander Shepard, I need to see you in the medbay.” Her voice was tight and Pyjak frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the doctor almost pace back and forth before she went and closed the blinds to the windows with a push of a buttons. Well then.

The door opened and it was the green eyed dude again, the one who had given her shit. She felt her mouth twitch. That was the Shepard and Commander that bubble gum princess was talking about. “What is it, Chakwas?” He looked concerned as his eyes flicked to Pyjak. “Has she done anything?” His voice lowered and Pyjak let out a sound of disgust.

“I can still hear you.” As if she would beat up the old woman. Pyjak glanced at the floor, she knew she should provably remember the good doctor’s name for that matter. Sometimes she wasn’t the greatest with them. She wasn’t _that_ much of an ass. He threw her a glare before Chakwas grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the machine, her voice too low for Pyjak to hear but she watched as the great Commander Shepard went pale as fuck and put his hand out to the wall as if he wanted to hit the floor.

“You’re serious?” His voice wavered slightly as he stared at the doctor hard.

“I ran it twice, Commander. The percentage is there both times, 99.99%. I have never been more serious in my life.” The good doctor turned to glance at Pyjak and Pyjak lifted an eyebrow in question. Chakwas turned and came over. “What do you remember of your childhood?” The question was asked with the utmost seriousness and Pyjak raised an eyebrow once more.

“Not much, pops mainly.” He was the only thing she really had memories of. Not that it was a bad thing, he was her _dad_ after all. It tracked that he was in all of her childhood memories.

“How old were you when he found you?” The tone was low and even as she doctor looked her over slightly, her eyes flicking all around her body.

“About four.” She shrugged, wondering why the hell the doc was asking her about that.

“He said he had you for eighteen years. That makes you twenty-two.” The Commander spoke, his voice low and it shook slightly. She glanced at him but he was rubbing his face hard, not looking at her.

“Yah. Can I ask what this is about?” She looked between the doctor and the commander.

“I took a blood sample.” The doctor started speaking slowly and Pyjak rolled her eyes.

“Yah I know, I was there, you can skip that.” She gestured for the doctor to hurry up and the woman pressed her lips into a thin line, a frown growing on her face.

“There is a 99.99% chance you are his sister.” The words came out of the doctor almost hesitantly and Pyjak looked between the doctor and the commander.

She took a harder look at the commander and he glanced up, locking his gaze with hers. Green eyes, no wonder she had noticed that. They were very similar to her own now that she thought about it. “Huh, neat.”


	13. Of Old Hurts and New Beginnings

Shepard stared at the red haired woman sitting on the cot, his insides twisting around inside of him. Disbelief filled him at her response. “ _Neat_? That is all you have to say about this?” He gestured between them. His fucking sister, the one he believed had died at the hands of batarians, the little sister he had buried and empty coffin for on Mindoir next to their parents. He had grieved her and he had mourned the bubbly little girl. Little Jane Shepard who had never truly had a chance to grow. Now she was sitting right in front of him and when she learned who he was she said _neat_.

“Don’t know what you want me to say, my guy.” She gestured rather flippantly and Shepard pinched his nose, doing his best to keep his breathing even. He felt a little too emotional at the moment do deal with the flippancy of it all.

“I thought you were dead for the past eighteen years. I buried an empty coffin in a grave with your name.” He ground the words out. His little sister was alive and she was headbutting his crew, tattooed, living with a krogan, and... and fucking _infuriating_.

“I’m sorry? Look, what do you want me to say? I don’t know you from a hole in the ground.” She said it so flippantly and he felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He honestly did not need that much attitude about it at the moment.

“You don’t remember me, at all?” The words came out more pained than he wanted. “You don’t remember mom or dad? How could you not remember them? You were there on Mindoir, you were with us. There has to be _something_ you remember.” He looked up at her and she was tilting her head as she looked at him before she pursed her lips and shook her head.

“Sorry-”

“They were _killed_ , murdered in front of you. You are telling me you _can’t remember that_?” The words came out harsher than her wanted them to and she leaned back.

Her eyes slowly narrowed at him before she gestured to him. “I didn’t ask for this and neither did you but I was fucking four when pops found me. _Four_. I’m not the greatest with this whole mind fuckery business but perhaps it’s best I don’t remember that.” She shook her head slightly, her green eyes so much like his own and so much like their mom’s, narrowing a bit further. “All I know is pops found me on a batarian slaver ship and that is all I care to know.” He ran his hand through his hair at that, fighting back the urge to wince. This situation was fucked, it was so fucked.

“Did you never want to know who you were or where you came from?” There was a hurt he couldn’t hide in his voice. He was hurt, she didn’t care, didn’t remember. It hurt.

“Why would I?” The words were another punch to the stomach.

“ _Because you had family_!” He damn near snarled the words at her, shoving his hand through his hair again as he started to pace.

There was a pause of silence before he glanced over at her and she shifted on her spot. “Had. I _had_ a family, clearly I had two human parents and apparently you, but I was a child who was apparently a part of a very horrible raid that landed my family, and a lot of other people, dead, and me on a batarian slaver ship.” She said each word low but clipped. “Why the fuck would I want to remember that? It sounds pretty fucking traumatizing.” The words were hissed out of her as she scowled at him, her short red hair falling into her face slightly. He couldn’t even really remember enough of his little sister’s chubby face to see if any of it remained on hers.

“You don’t remember _anything_?” It came out on a cracked whisper. No pancake breakfasts with their parents, playing int eh garden, climbing trees in the summer air. No memories of their om’s beautiful smile and their dad’s laugh and her own giggles as they chased her over the lawn. That fucking hurt because Shepard was left with it all.

“Oh... oh no...” Chakwas’s soft voice brought his attention to her and he looked at her.

“What?” He rubbed at his face and then ran his hands through his hair.

“Her... her DNA profile just pinged in our records... Shepard they had her in Alliance custody when she was sixteen.” Her voice was low and there was sympathy painted on her face and Shepard felt himself start to shake. He thought he was going to be sick. “

“Why... why didn’t they-” He couldn’t even finish it. She had been so close to him. He could heave learned about her six years ago. He could have spent the last _six years_ with her.

“They were locked when she was adopted four months after they created the profile. I am sure that is why they never pinged against yours.” Chakwas move closer and grasped his arm, giving it a squeeze. “I will leave you two to sort this out.” He was aware of her moving away and then the door opening and closing but he felt a pained sort of numbness fill him.

“Wouldn’t have changed anything so I wouldn’t act so upset.” At the words Shepard rounded on her with a look that used to make cadets run for the hills but she didn’t even flinch. She couldn’t even give him a second to adsorb the news. “What? I’m telling the truth.” She shrugged, her arms still crossed over her chest.

He narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth through the hurt her indifference caused. “I could have spent time with my sis-”

“It wouldn’t have changed anything, except make me hate you more than likely.” He opened his mouth to argue but she jerked her chin at his hand where his omni-tool was. “Pull up my records. Does it say in them record that I had been removed from eighteen earth foster homes, thirty colony foster places, and then was put in jail for a month where I started eight riots and then attempted to burn down the c-sec facility? Is that in there?” She rolled her head to look at him. “I was sixteen. Taken away from the only family I ever known, thrown into hell hole after hell hole until finally they locked me in _jail_ just to contain me because of all the frustration and anger that I had bottled inside me that I routinely let out because I wanted to go _home_.” She stared at him hard.

“You would have been another stranger keeping me away from my family and I would have hated you for it.” She said the point evenly and almost emotionlessly. It hurt. He couldn’t understand how everything she said could hurt him like that.

“I’m your _family_.” He couldn’t help the way it came out. He felt raw, scrapped up inside and bleeding.

“You’re blood but that isn’t what makes family.” She shook her head. “I don’t know you. I wouldn’t have known you back then. You would simply be the person keeping me from my pops and I would have hated you for it.” She said it so evenly, so calmly, as if it were written in stone, as if the outcome were that clear to her. Shepard didn’t understand how she could be that sure in herself and the past. “Besides it would have tanked your fucking career.” The words surprised him and his eyes widened in shock at the change of subject. “And you would have resented me for it.” He opened his mouth to argue and she held up a hand.

“Don’t argue. That’s an N7 shirt.” She pointed to his chest where the N7 logo sat above his pectoral. “I know it takes roughly eight years to go through that program. You would have been an N2 when Alliance essentially kidnapped me.” She tilted her head. “It would have tanked your career. Either you would have left me to do your training or you would have given it up.” He let out a breath, trying to find a flaw in her reasoning but he was stumped. A surly sixteen year old would have taken time to get to know and he realized that he would indeed have left the training. If he had left then he wouldn’t have been there for the Skyllian Blitz and more people would have died and he realized he wouldn’t have been standing there on the Normandy, the first human spectre.

“It’s better that it went this way, my guy. I got to be with my pops, I got to grow up where I wanted and you get all your fancy titles like Commander.” She got off the cot, crossing her arms over her chest again as she shifted her weight to her right hip.

“But you are my sister.” He said it softly and she huffed, blowing some of the fly away hairs from her face. “You truly don’t remember me?” He looked at her and he didn’t want to be hopeful but it was hard. He wanted her to look at him and _remember_ who he was, to have that connection with her. He thought she was fucking _dead_. He needed something to connect her to him instead of it feeling like they were two complete strangers meeting for the first time.

She shook her head. “Look my first memory I have is my pops holding me on his lap and showing me the galaxy outside of a cockpit window while we flew through space. I remember standing on his lap and pressing my face against the glass because there was a whole fucking world out there, millions of worlds and planets I could explore. I remember _nothing_ before that and I am glad because I have a life time of memories with my pops where I am happy and excited and all sorts of other shit.” She shifted slightly, “I don’t get what you might be feeling because I’m not invested in anything here.” She gestured between them and he winced but she held up a finger. “But I’m not _against_ anything here.” Her words stopped him and a new bit of hope flared in his stomach. It didn’t stop him from feeling sick, from feeling like he had lost a lifetime with her but it was something.

“You would be open to...” He trailed off and she shrugged.

“I’m fine with it but I am who I am, who pops raised me to be. You have to be okay with that or this isn’t gunna work. I’m not the little sister you remember. I’m not that person.” She gave another shrug and he stared at her for a second, letting a heavy silence fall between them as he looked her over.

His eyes were drawn to the tattoos that went up her arm and over her shoulder. The pattern was distinction and geometric. “Where did you get the tattoos?” He gestured to them and she smiled wide.

“The ones on my arms I got while I was on a two day drinking binge on Omega after pops dropped me off there and uncle Zee took me to a guy because I insisted.” She turned around and grabbed the back of her tank top, lifting it up to the back of her neck. Another, very similar tattoo crawled up her spine and went across both shoulder blades. “These ones I got on Tachunka, the female shamans did them for me. I wanted to have a permanent reminder of my clan home. They match the designs in the lost cities.” She pulled her shirt down and turned to face him. “I’m the only non-krogan to be taken into a clan. I even earned an unsung name when I did my Rite.” She jutted her chin out, looking so proud of herself that Shepard had to smile, even if he didn’t understand half of what she was saying.

“Can you tell me more?” He asked it hesitantly and she shoved her hands into her pockets, leaning against the cot.

“What do you want to know? I’m like an open book.” She threw him and ease grin and Shepard felt a bit better seeing it.

“What about you growing up? Can you tell me what it was like?” He watched as she lit up and then delved into a story about her very first gun that Wrex had gotten her for her birthday and how she ate so many chocolate flavoured ration bars she was sick. He watched her as she talked, taking in how she gestured wildly while telling the story and how exited and happy she was.

Perhaps she was right. Things did turn out just how they were supposed to, even if it hurt him to admit it.


	14. Of Trading Stories and Trying to Bond

Pyjak stirred the mess of rehydrated eggs and mystery sausage meat in the pan, doing her best not to burn it. She wasn’t that much of a cook but she was certainly better than she had been when she had been younger. “So anyway, I can’t even _look_ at a bottle of tequila without wanting to gag now.” She threw a grin at the commander, who was leaning against the cupboards watching her. “I was hungover for like two weeks. Still worth it though.” It _had_ been worth it, it was a great fucking party. If there was one thing krogans were good at besides bashing heads, it was throwing a fucking rage-er.

“You were like seventeen.” There was amusement but obvious concern that had her rolling her eyes. She wasn’t sure what one did with siblings but she was pretty sure krogan siblings weren’t as… _fussy_ as he was being with her. Maybe humans were different. She couldn’t rightly use herself as a barometer, she was too much like a krogan for that.

“Pops always told me it’s best I learn my limits on my own. No use in him policing me when I would go behind his back and do it anyway and feel satisfied even if I fucking hurt afterwards. It’s a lot harder to feel satisfied when the only person responsible is yourself and you aren’t even rebelling against anything.” She carefully took the pan off the stove and dumped the food into one of the large bowls she had found. She stuck a fork into it and set the pan into the sink. “I certainly learned my lesson. No more tequila and I have never really gotten that drunk again. Believe me, I can pack away my liquor but I have never again reached topless tomkah dancing while wearing a pretend quad between my legs that I used to dunk on krogans with levels of drunk.” The memory made her mouth twitch and to her surprise he chuckled.

Pyjak grabbed the bowl and brought it to one of the tables and then straddled the bench, watching the commander push off the counter to walk over. “What about you? Any embarrassing stories?” She picked out some of the eggs and ate them as she pulled up her omni-tool and shot a message to Wrex.

“To be honest… I don’t think my life has been nearly as interesting as yours, Pyj-” He frowned slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck and Pyjak shrugged. “I don’t think I can get used to essentially calling you a monkey.” Shepard looked at her and she rolled her eyes.

“Then call me Jakkie. Its a tolerable nickname.” She still tilted her head at him though. Everyone has a story or two, even the most boring people couldn’t keep that streak going forever. More often than not, some shit show or another smacked them in the face. “There has to be at least one story. You can’t be all goody two-shoes all the time.” She leaned against the table with her elbow, watching as he sat down across from her. She shifted her legs, moving from straddling the bench to sitting on it.

“Okay, that’s better. I can work with Jakkie.” He looked a bit more relieved at that. “As for stories, there was one time I mortified myself in front of an asari matriarch by using her title wrong.” The words came out hesitantly and Pyjak made a face and booed, throwing a bit of sausage at him. He caught it, looking almost affronted with her.

“That’s low bar, barely worth making a note of.” She leaned towards him, “Have you goosed a turian while drunk? Punched a politician? Made out with a super hot chick while near blackout drunk and then later found out you accosted a poor innocent salarian by accident? Don’t ask, that was _not_ me.” The look on her face made her want to burst into laughter. He made a face at her and flicked the sausage piece at her. She deftly caught it in her mouth, waste not want not, she thought as she swallowed it.

“That was impressive and disgusting.” He made a slight face and she shrugged.

“I have eaten way worse things, believe me.” Living with Wrex as her pops meant she had eaten far more questionable things that you learned to never ask questions about. “So you are telling me you have never accidentally done something super embarrassing?” It sounded so wrong for her to even say it. Everyone had some interesting or embarrassing story to share.

“After the mission I had with Nihlus went south, I got so drunk I passed out in the men’s bathroom at Flux and Alenko and Williams had to get me back to the ship to sober up.” His face went slightly red at that and she quirked an eyebrow up.

“That isn’t embarrassing, that’s just sad.” It was, he had let her know Nihlus had been a spectre and his turian pal shot him in the back of the head while Nihlus was on a mission with him. “Remind me to never ask you to share stories, you’re just a bummer.” She picked at the eggs, taking a few more pieces to eat. She glanced at him and he was frowning again, staring at his hands he had clasped on the table. She let out an exaggerated sigh, catching his attention. “I guess no one can be as amazing as me, so we will leave the stories to me. I have more than enough for the both of us.” She glanced at him, giving him a wink when me made eye contact.

Wrex came around the wall and Pyjak grinned. “Made you your favourite, pops. Slop.” She lifted the big bowl for him and the krogan chuckled as he thumped down on the bench beside her, taking the bowl from her hands. He tossed a small box onto the table for her and Pyjak gasped. “Ooooh you are too good to me, pops.” She tore open the box to get at the mint dark chocolate inside. He was always spoiling her and she never knew how he managed to always sneak her real chocolate.

“I thought you were cooking for yourself.” Shepard glanced between the two of them and Pyjak shook her head even as she reached over and took a few more bits from the bowl as Wrex shoved as much into his mouth as he could with the tiny human sized fork.

“If I don’t remind pops to eat, he gets fucking growly. I figured we had rations so why the fuck not?” She gave a shrug as she snagged one of the chocolates and ate it, bringing one foot onto the bench as she leaned against Wrex. He grunted at her before holding out a forkful of eggs that she took without question. She supposed it was a habit they had developed back when she was tiny and always wanted to pick at his food rather than eat her own. Neither really thought much of it now but she could see the look that the commander was getting on his face as he watched and she was reminded that it wasn’t entirely normal. Not that she particularly cared what anyone thought. She slid the half destroyed box closer to Shepard. “Want one?”

He looked interested but eyed it slightly. “Does it have pecans in it?” He looked at her and she shook her head. “Because I’m allergic.”

“No, I’m allergic.” They spoke over top of each other before matching the last few words and her mouth and eyebrows twitched upwards. “Well then. It looks like my puny human weakness is actually genetic, pops. He’s allergic to the tiny death nuts as well.” She gestured to Shepard and Wrex stopped eating to stare at him.

A thick silence stretched before Wrex nudged her with a low laugh. “You must got all the good genetics, he ain’t as pretty as you are, Pyjak.” At the words she chuckled, leaning her head against his arm. He held out another bit of eggs and sausage that she ate. She wasn’t all that hungry but picking at food and grazing didn’t seem too bad of the thing to do, especially if he was offering.

Shepard coughed a little and shifted in his spot. “Are you aware that her and I -“

“Shared the same quad for a bit? Yah. It’s pretty fucking obvious, commander. You smell similar. Granted you smell more like soap, starch, and stuck up military so its muted but it’s still there.” Wrex grunted again before giving her another forkful of eggs and sausage. “Humans are damned nose blind.” Wrex nudged her slightly as he dropped the fork into the now empty bowl.

“Living with you, I’m glad I am. I’m pretty sure if I wasn’t some of those farts you ripped would have killed me as a kid.” She grabbed another chocolate and grinned as Wrex let out a booming laugh.

“Fucker.” He affectionately knocked his head against hers as he got up. “I’ll clean this shit up and I’ll see you down in the cargo bay, Pyjak. My shotgun was acting a bit tetchy when I shot Fist in the face.” She nodded, knocking her head lightly against his hip before he moved away.

“You probably knocked a mod loose bashing some guy in the face with it.” She glanced at him and all he did was give a low huehuehue as he walked to the sink. She smirked to herself as she played with the little wrappers from the chocolate.

“You’re really allergic to pecans?” Shepard was staring at her and Pyjka nodded.

“I get hives and my face blows up like a balloon.” She glanced at Wrex as he dutifully scrubbed at the dishes, making sure they were clean. It never failed to make her amused to see him do them. It just seemed so _domestic_. “Pops is really good at keeping them away from me and getting me things that don’t have them. It’s to the point I trust him so much with it that if he wanted to kill me he could hand me some and I would eat them without looking.” She said the last part a bit louder and he gave another low laugh but didn’t say anything in response.

She nudged the box closer to Shepard and he took another one, carefully unwrapping it before eating it in small bites. He was so damned meticulous about everything, stuffy too. She tried to imagine how it would have been growing up beside him but it made her grimace at the thought. He seemed to stiff and proper, to grow up like that sounded like a damned nightmare.

“Eat.” Wrex walked by, tossing a ration bar on the table as he did so.

“Thanks, pops!” At the words he simply grunted as he disappeared around the corner. She grabbed the bar and unwrapped it, taking a rather big bite. She wasn’t hungry but she would eat it because he had gotten it for her. She looked over Shepard, trying to find their similarities but feeling a bit lost. She was so used to seeing herself in Wrex that trying to do so with a human felt utterly weird.

He frowned slightly as he started folding the little square chocolate wrappers he had. There were a few moments of intense concentration as she ate her bar before he sighed and glanced at her. “This sucks. It feels like you are a stranger to me.”

“I am.” She shrugged slightly, ignoring his wince as she said it. “Don’t take it personally. Anyone who last saw someone at the age of four is going to be strangers when they meet up again eighteen years later.” It stood to reason that was the case. A four year old was vastly different from someone who was twenty two. “So how did you get recommended for the N7?” She wasn’t particularly interested in knowing but he looked so downtrodden she felt like she should toss him a bone.

“Captain Anderson helped get me in. He had me fast tracked ever since he took over my care after I was found on Mindoir.” A genuine smile crossed his face at the mention of the man and Pyjak tilted her head slightly, finishing off the ration bar.

“Good man?” She wrapped an arm around the leg she had bent and he nodded, perking up substantially.

“He took me in after Mindoir, taught me everything I know and then some more. He made me want to be like him. To serve Earth and to make it in the military.” His back straightened and he looked so damned pleased with himself she fought back the urge to sneer. She really didn’t like the Alliance but she wouldn’t ruin his good mood with her snark.

“It’s good that you had someone after that, someone to strive to make proud.” Just like she had with Wrex, he was her dad, her pops and she was so happy that she had him in her life, that he raised her up. She would do anything to make him proud, even though she already knew she had his pride in spades. “There you are. Some similarities besides our eyes and the death by nut thing we have going on.” She smirked at him slightly as she grabbed another bit of chocolate, unwrapping it and snapping it in half. She was aware of another person entering the mess hall, a dark haired guy who did a double take when he spotted her. Not that she was looking, she could see him in her peripheral vision.

“Well it wouldn’t hurt to find some common ground.” He sounded excited at the prospect and she felt for the guy, she really did. He put so much faith and weight in this potential sibling relationship. She didn’t really understand it

“Probably not.” As she told him, she wasn’t invested in it. She could take it or leave it but she wasn’t opposed to it. It just made her want to wince because he was a really straight laced type of guy and she was just... _not_. “So, any trails and tribulations during your training?” She rolled one of the wrappers into a little ball and flicked it at him rather accurately and it bounced off his forehead.

He jerked back in surprise a bit and she threw him a smug grin. “If you make a mess, you need to clean it up.” He gave her a look as he bent down, retrieving the little wrapper ball she had pinged off his forehead.

“Yes, _mom_.” The sarcasm felt familiar as she pinged him with another one. “Spill, you need to give me something if you want to bond with me.” He really did because at the moment he was being tedious, he was turning into a chore because she was too damned nice and he looked too much like a poor kicked varren to walk off and leave him alone. The dark haired guy was staring at her intently and she resisted the urge to flip him off.

“When I was an N4, we were in a training exercise, all of my team was down and the other side was hunting me. I managed to tag them all and pull off a win, fourteen to one.” He flicked one of the balls at her and she snatched it out of the air, wiggling her eyebrows. She spent far too much time in bars with bar snacks, beer bottle caps, and wrappers being flicked around to be caught unaware like that.

“Pretty fucking impressive. You might not have any embarrassing drunken stories but if you’ve got some kick ass battle stories, now then. _That_ we can trade.” She shifted slightly before flicking the wrapper ball back at him. She glanced at the other guy out of the corner of her eye and fought the urge to grimace at how intently he was looking at her. If it would have been anywhere else, she would have had a gun pulled out on him already and told him to fuck off. She didn’t do those across the room stares.

“Do you have many battle stories?” He flicked another one back at her and she caught it as well.

“A metric shit ton. Hello, grew up with a krogan mercenary, bounty hunter dad.” She waved her hand at herself, feeling pretty smug with it. “I have stories coming out of every orifice. I started going out on job shortly before my sixteenth birthday.” She grinned at the almost concerned and mortified look that Shepard had on his face.

He sputtered slightly and she pinged him with another little wrapper ball. “ _Fifteen_?” His face was turning all sorts of colours and she gave him a look.

“So? Turians get into the army at fifteen and male krogans go through their Rite at like fourteen.” At her words he sputtered some more.

“You could have been _killed_!” Yup, he was mortified. She didn’t understand why he had to be so stuffy about it. She had been perfectly safe, not to mention that she was fucking alive. His worry about the past was enough to make her want to roll her eyes.

“Nah. Pops was really good about keeping me out of heavy fire for the first forty jobs or so. By the time I turned seventeen I was able to take point on missions if need be. Also got to start using heavy weapons.” She could remember the first time she had used a rocket launcher. That had been fucking fun. “Not because I wasn’t mature enough before that, I had a growth spurt and could actually hold the rocket launcher properly.” She glanced at Shepard and couldn’t help but burst out in laughter at the fact he looked ready to pass out. “Don’t know why you are so concerned, that was ages ago and I’m alive, aren’t I?” She tilted her head at him as she grabbed another bit of the chocolate, carefully unwrapping it. Her skin itched between her shoulder blades and she resisted the urge to round on the other guy for being fucking creepy with how he was staring.

“Now, if you really want to be concerned, I should tell you about the time pops and I took out a thresher maw on foot.” She was enjoying the way he sputtered, his mouth opening and closing. “Without armour.” His eyes bugged out and she fought back the mischievous grin that was doing its best to tug her mouth upwards. “With only _daggers_.”

She watched several emotions flash across Shepard’s face before he pinched his lips together and glowered at her. “Okay. Now I _know_ you are messing with me.”

She let the grin loose, chuckling. “I had you going there, didn’t I?”

“That is _not_ funny.” He pointed at her but she could see the corner of his mouth twitching, as if he were doing his best not to return her grin.

“It kind of is. I didn’t know human faces could do that.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him and then immediately stiffened as the other guy finally made his move and sat down beside her.

“Human? You say that like you aren’t one?” He held out his hand towards her and she looked at it.

“Got tired of staring across the room?” The words were clipped and he flushed, his hand retreating.

“Was I that obvious?” He asked it softly and she resisted the urge to lean away from him.

“Yah.” She stuffed the bit of chocolate in her mouth as Shepard straightened his spine.

“Kaiden, this is Jakkie, Jakkie, this is Liutenant Kaiden Alenko.” He gestured between the two and Pyjak swallowed the chocolate as the guy once again held out his hand.

“It’s Urdnot Pyjak. Shepard just doesn’t want to call me a defacto monkey.” She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t know why not. I thought I picked well. Granted I was four at the time.” That had Shepard actually choking as he coughed as she grinned, watching him try to stop. It took him a second or two before he finally threw her a look, his face red.

“ _You_ named yourself Pyjak?” At the incredulity in his tone she grinned wide and nodded. “Your name was _Jane_.” At that she gave a full blown grimace and reared back away from the table.

“Oh god, _Jane_?” That was gross. What the _fuck_? “Let me guess they named you John?” She waved her hand around, staring at him with wide eyes and Shepard stared at her before nodding. She held up a finger, “Excuse me, I have to go throw up at how fucking _basic_ that shit is.” She turned and pretended to gag. Jane and John. She couldn’t believe it. Those were the whitest of white sibling names. “Sorry, I’ll stick with Pyjak.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at him.

“It’s a _monkey_.” John held out his hands in front of himself as if imploring with her. “Jane is a perfectly sensible name.”

“Boring name. It’s a boring name.” It was so horrendously boring. She couldn’t imagine being Urdnot _Jane_. It was enough to make her shudder. “I am unmoved. Pyjak is my name. I picked it when I was four and I will have it carved over my grave.” She stared at John, her eyes narrowed. This wasn’t a battle he was going to win. “It even says it on my official adoption papers.” She felt a bit smug at that. She was, by all accounts, legally Urdnot Pyjak. There was no fucking Jane in sight and for that she was happy.

“Mom thought it was a nice name.” He lowered his head to stare at the table and Pyjak reached forward and smacked it, making a loud bang.

He looked up at her and she gave him a look. “Enough of that. The past is the past. We work towards now because if you keep looking back, I will keep walking forward, with or without you.” It was the only warning he would get. She didn’t want to hear about how great their life had been on Mindoir, or how much their parents loved the name Jane. That wasn’t her, it wouldn’t ever be her again. She as Urdnot Pyjak and he needed to accept that or he would be left behind because she wouldn’t look back.


	15. Of Orders and Fornax Editions

They locked eyes and there seemed to be an internal battle with him before he gave a short nod. “You’re right. It’s just hard for me. It might come up at times.” At that she shrugged, she didn’t care if it came up for him. She said what she said.

“I think I am missing something here.” Alenko said it slowly and Pyjak rolled her eyes.

“I’m his sister.” She pointed at Shepard and then crossed her arms over her chest.

The guy looked floored by that as he looked between her and him. “I thought... I thought on Mindoir-” He stopped speaking, his voice trailing off and Shepard winced.

“I did too. Turns out Wrex rescued her from the batarians. He raised her and now she is here.” He glanced at her and she kept her expression even.

“The _krogan_?” At the shocked and horrified tone Pyjak slowly turned to look at the man and it was Shepard’s turn to slam his fist onto the table.

“Hey!” It came out like a bark but it didn’t even phase Pyjak as she started to draw her head back. “No headbutting, Jakkie!” He snapped it out and she pressed her lips together and threw the most vicious glare she could at him. “Alenko, leave us for a second.” The man hesitated but he must have been able to read the room because he got up and walked away. “ _No headbutting_.”

“You heard his tone!” She hissed it out and he ran his hand through his hair, standing up.

“I know but this is a human run ship. Half of them haven’t had encounters with aliens. Ever.” His tone was shaking with tension but it was placating, or attempting to. Pyjak didn’t care. She didn’t do bigotry.

“That doesn’t excuse bigotry! Pops is a good dad. The _best_ dad! I won’t stand for hearing horror and disgust when people talk about him because he took me in, he raised me, and he loved me!” She hissed it out, jabbing her finger into her own chest. “He used to rock me to sleep at night, tucked underneath his chin when I would wake up from nightmares, and people want to deride him as a brutish monster? Not on my fucking watch!” Her voice rose slightly and Shepard shoved his hand through his hair again, tugging on it slightly.

“Calm down, I will call a meeting to discuss it with the crew but you _can_ _no_ _t_ headbutt people when you get mad! I need them _functional_.” There was a heavy order to his voice that she felt no desire to listen too.

She felt surly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not when I get mad, it’s when they’re being _racist_.” She gritted the words out and he pinched his nose.

“For fuck’s sake.” He muttered it out and she quirked an eyebrow. A curse out of him? He must be serious. Too bad she was too.

“-have a lot more jokes. You want to hear them?” At the new voice Pyjak resisted the urge to look over to see who it was. She wasn’t going to lose the one side staring contest she was currently engaged in.

“Keelah, _no_.” At Tali’s voice the urge to look grew stronger but she kept staring at Shepard. She wasn’t backing down. She never did when it came to racists.

“So do you know what happened to the Chief’s face? She’s pretty banged up. The medi-gel will help but holy fuck it’s like she was trying to be me and accidentally went in for a kiss wrong and broke her own face instead.” There was a heavy amount of amusement in the guy’s voice and it took all her strength to keep staring at Shepard. He didn’t move either, just continued to go between pinching his nose and rubbing his forehead.

“No headbutting.” He finally met her gaze and she narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn’t going to listen to that if someone was going to be racist against her pops.

“I heard the term headbutting! I heard headbutting, Shepard! Who are you scolding-oh it’s _human_.” The voice went from excitement to disappointment within a second and Shepard finally looked away. Pyjak felt a bit satisfied that she won the staring contest he hadn’t really been aware he had been in.

“That is Urdnot Pyjak.” Tali’s response was quick and Pyjak finally turned to look at them. Tali was standing beside a guy with a cap on and a scruffy facial hair.

“There _is_ a second krogan.” The excitement was back and he grinned at her. He limped his way towards her and she blinked at him. He held out his hand when he got close enough. “Name’s Joker. Be easy on the handshake. I break easy.” She shrugged but reached out and gave him a rather gentle handshake. He sat beside her and Tali at on the other side of her. “So a krogan. Did you do that number on Ashley’s face?” He tilted his head at her and she smirked, flicking her eyes towards Shepard.

“Don’t encourage her.” He crossed his arms over his chest as he glowered at her.

“Don’t try to change me, Shepard. You won’t like the results.” It was a warning she didn’t give lightly. She was who she was, if he didn’t like it, then he needed to not get his hopes up. She wasn’t a cute little girl named _Jane_.

“Nice tattoos. Very...” Joker trailed off as she looked at her arm and smirked.

“Krogan like? They match the ruins on Tachunka. It’s a permanent reminder of home.” She rubbed at the design on her arm with a small dose of affection.

“So you _are_ a human krogan!” The guy sounded excited and she snorted slightly.

“The only non-krogan krogan ever given a Rite and a clan.” It was still something she took great pride in. Even whens he was still slightly seething from Shepard reprimanding her.

“Don’t know what that is but it means you are krogan. Which is pretty fucking sweet.” He grinned at her before he noticed the box of chocolates on the table. “Score!”

“Joker, ask.” There was an edge of reprimand to Shepard’s voice that had Pyjak rolling her eyes as he sat down again.

“Go ahead and have some. I was just getting ready to leave.” She threw a look at Shepard. She wasn’t impressed in the least and he let out a heavy sigh.

“You don’t have to go. I’ll deal with it, Jakkie... but you can’t keep headbutting people.” There was a soft edge to his tone that had her sneering.

“And I said before, if people are going to be xenophobic bigots about my pops I will do as I have always done.” Her tone was hard and she wasn’t going to fucking budge on it.

“Headbutt people?” Joker took a bite of chocolate, looking at her expectantly and she pointed at him and nodded.

“Headbutt people.” That is what she did, it was the krogan way.

“ _Joker_.” Shepard’s voice had an edge and Joker held up his hands.

“What? She has a point you know. You don’t insult family, that’s just crossing a line.” He glanced at her, smirking a little bit and she felt her mouth tug up slightly before setting her teeth.

“What, not like the others on the ship?” She jerked her head to where the dude, Alenko was fiddling with some monitor of some kind far away.

He shook his head. “Nah, when you watch as much cross-species porn as I do, you tend not to let little things like species get you up in arms.” At the words Pyjak burst into laughter. She had not been expecting that, not at all. She had a feeling she would highly enjoy Joker’s company. She felt herself relaxing and she shook her head. “Come on, you have a krogan parent, you aren’t telling me you have looked up that shit up on the extranet.”

“ _Joker_!” She put a fake scandalized tone. “Well I never! I am _classy_ , I would have you know. Fornax, all the way. I’m a legacy subscriber, my pops has been a member since the magazine started.” She sniffed slightly, lifting her nose.

“Oh, I see, we have an _elitist_ over here.” Joker bumped her slightly with his shoulder and she laughed again. “Leave me to my free and dirty extranet searches, you magazine purist.” She liked him. He was funny and at least he didn’t have a stick shoved up his ass like most military.

“You know Fornax is objectively better. Everyone can agree. Did you see their hanar edition?” She nudged him and he blew a raspberry.

“Everyone has seen their hanar edition and were disappointed to learn that they refused to-”

“Enkindle others with their tentacles.” She finished the statement and looked at Joker and they both dissolved into laughter.

“I don’t understand.” Tali’s voice was quiet and confused and it just made Pyjak and Joker laugh that much harder.

“I don’t think you want to, Tali. We can head out and leave them be.” Shepard said it with a touch of disappointment and she felt Tali get up and walk away with him as her and Joker continued to chuckle.

“I just knew that you would be cool. I mean human female krogan? Had to be interesting.” Joker said it with a small nod, looking impressed.

“You forgot raised by a merc, who liberally used other mercs as tutors, and who had property on Omega where she was raised until she was twelve.” She pointed at him slightly and he nodded.

“Even better! That means you _actually_ have a sense of humor!” He chuckled and grabbed another piece of chocolate, unwrapping it.

“I know right? You should hear pops when he gets going.” She gave a small chuckle at that. He could really get rowdy and there were times he made her laugh so hard she nearly peed herself.

“So... like seriously though. You alright with everyone? It’s an all human ship and I mean, I can get tetchy around aliens but that’s mainly cause I break really easy, but everyone else? That’s a different ball game.” His voice dropped low and she shifted with a faint grimace.

“Alenko nearly got his face rearranged like bubble gum princess did.” She gritted her teeth and shook her head, trying to shake the anger off.

“Bubble gum princess? Oh shit, now I _have_ to use that.” Joker chuckled to himself about it and she smirked at him.

“Shepard threatened to kick me off if I did it again but I have the impulse control of a-”

“Krogan?” Joker raised an eyebrow as he bit into the chocolate and she gave a mocking gasp.

“How did you know?” She pressed her hands to her chest and he chuckled.

“Lucky guess.” He finished that piece and Pyjak reached in and took one out for herself. “So Pyjak...” His voice trailed off and she nodded. “You pick that yourself or...?” At the question she grinned.

“Oh I picked it myself.” She looked at him, leaning against the table. “I was four and pops let me keep it.” Joker nearly spewed half chewed chocolate over the table as he burst into laughter.

He covered his mouth and snorted. “You’re lying.” he looked at her with wide eyes that twinkled with a ‘I so want to believe you but it is too good to be true’ twinkle.

“I am 100% not.” Her omni-tool pinged and she grinned, perfect timing. She brought up it up and smirked slightly as the message from her pops. ‘ _I’ll break it’_. It was standard for him but she understood what he was saying. He wanted her to go and fix his shotgun. She sent him a quick message back, telling him to bring her paperwork, her kit, and his shotgun up. “I have the paperwork to prove it.” They actually did. The signed adoption order went everywhere with them and it showed her legal name as Urdnot Pyjak. She was pretty sure that if pops could have figured out how to frame the order and hang it, it would have been on a wall in the _Kalros_ by now. She was over the age of eighteen and it didn’t do much but Wrex was still slightly protective about it and he brought it with them where ever they went.

She could hear the elevator and grinned. Within a few moments Wrex came around the corner, a case in hand. He grumbled as he made his way to the table and tossed the case. It slammed against the metal surface and slid towards her. She grabbed it quickly and flipped it. She opened it up and pulled out the data pad for Joker. He took it and she pulled out her tools before looking at Wrex.

“Gimme.” She open and closed her hands and his heavy ass shotgun was tossed into them.

“Holy shit. Your name is _literally_ Pyjak!” Joker looked between her and the datapad and she grinned.

“I told you so. I picked it when I was four and pops just went with it.” She turned her grin to Wrex as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“To be fair you learned the term from me.” He gave her a slow grin and she beamed at him.

“I learn the _best_ things from you, pops.” She turned back to his shotgun, looking it over, trying to spot which mod was the one that was loose.

“Yah, like your Fornax subscription.” Joker said it with amusement but a bit of wariness and Wrex levelled him with a stare.

A thick silence fell and Pyjak fought to keep her face straight as Joker squirmed in his spot as if he were uncomfortable with the way pops was staring at him. The silence stretched before Wrex shifted. “You see the elcor edition?” The question came out casual and Joker instantly lit up.

He beamed wide before coughing and putting on a straight face, “With increasing pleasure-”

“Oh yes. Take it. Take it like the dirty untranslatable you are.” Wrex finished it off and all three of them burst into laughter. Pyjak grinned, unable to stop it if she tried. The laughter felt good, it was good to laugh. She was just glad there was someone else on the ship that could get her and pops. Even if she could break him just by looking at him wrong.


	16. Of Stories and Eye Catching Birds

Pyjak wasn’t sure how long they hung out in the mess, time seemed to slip away as Joker and Wrex traded jokes and dirty stories as she tinkered with Wrex’s shotgun. She had found the loose mod and then had noticed a few others not preforming when she ran diagnostics through the software with her omni-tool. She interjected at times, laughing with them when an especially raunchy joke was told.

She liked that Joker was on board, he explained he was the pilot, well actually he said ‘I’m the best fucking pilot in the alliance, bar none, could land a ship on an asari stripper’s ass freckle from four million light years away.’ Which she had to respect his sheer confidence. Or as Wrex said, had to respect a glass human with a brass quad.

However the shotgun was laying on the table, forgotten as Joker inhaled through laughter. “So she’s grinding on me and I told her to go easy, because you know, glass bones. But I think she took it as a challenge because she pushed just a little too hard and my pelvis fucking cracks and she grinds harder probably thinking my squirming was from the good shit and was like ‘Like what I am doing to you, big guy?’ and I’m nearly dying because I had to be like ‘Ma’am, what you are doing is breaking my bones.’” Joker nearly had tears running down his face and Pyjak could barely sit straight she had such a huge stitch in her side from laughing and Wrex was banging on the table, laughing so hard he wasn’t making any sound.

Some crew who were lingering around were cracking up as well and Pyjak liked that. It reminded her of when her and Wrex would gather a team of mercs she had grown up with and they would banter and celebrate after the job. She hadn’t laughed like that in ages.

Joker snorted, trying to inhale. “I had to explain to the ER doctor that a stripper named Ivanna Dikk broke my pelvis during a lap dance.” He wheezed and Pyjak couldn’t stop laughing.

Her entire stomach hurt and she pressed her legs together, afraid she was going to pee her pants. “Oh spirits! I’m weak-I can’t!” She gripped the edge of the table with one hand and wrapped her other arm around her stomach. She just couldn’t stop laughing, that was a grade A fucking story right there.

Joker gasped, getting some semblance of control. “I spent a week in the hospital and a plaster diaper because of that one. Have you had to shit while wearing one of those?” He pointed between her and Wrex, his face red and the two of them waved him off, still howling with laughter, as much as their strained sides and lungs would allow. “It’s fucking impossible!”

Pyjak was fairly certain the pilot had broken her. She was broken. Utterly and completely ended. There was a heavy crash as Wrex fell off the bench, hitting the floor because he was laughing too hard to keep himself up. That renewed all of their laughter and Wrex laid sprawled on the floor, bellowing out his amusement. She felt inclined to join him on the floor, she was barely holding herself together and her grip on the table was tenuous at best. Pyjak settled for leaning across the table, pushing things out of the way as she muffled her laughter in her arm while her other continued to grip her sore stomach. She hurt, she really did but it was in the best possible way.

Laughter dissolved into chuckes and Pyjak wiped at her face, her cheeks sticky. Fuck, Joker was a _riot_. “I’m glad to see you’re all getting along but I need my pilot to get us off the CItadel. Vakarian has arrived so we are free to leave.” At Shepard’s voice, Pyjak stifled her giggles as she turned her head to look Joker. He was trying really hard to sit up straight and get his face into a somewhat normal position as he wheezed slightly.

“Yes, Commander.” His voice wavered and Pyjak grinned at him, holding in a laugh. He glanced at her and his face went red and he snorted a laugh before seemingly doing his best to swallow it down. He looked away, pressing his fist to his mouth before pointed at her. “ _Stop_.” He stood up, leaning on the table before he gave another snort, trying to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up. “I think I broke a rib.” He limped away and Pyjak buried her face into her arms, trying her damnedest not to start laughing again. Her stomach was too sore and she couldn’t handle another bout of laughing like that.

She was aware of Wrex picking himself off of the floor. “Only thing that would have made that better was some ryncol.” He sat back at the table and Pyjak peeked at him from her arms, grinning.

“Now _that_ would have been a party.” Alcohol would have made it all the better. There was nothing like getting drunk and swapping stories of adventures with the right group of people.

“I like him. A well ripped fart could break him but I like him.” Wrex nodded his head as he said it before looking at her and giving her a wink.

“I like him too. Funny guy.” She pushed off from were she lay partially on the table and wiped at her cheeks and letting out a deep breath, doing her best to swallow the giggles that still wanted to escape.

“Just about done?” Wrex gestured to the shotgun and she grabbed it, looking it over. She had to remember the last thing she had done to it. She had gotten side tracked by the story and from laughing so hard.

“There were a few inefficiencies in the heat sink mod and the damage booster I need to correct. I noticed they were reading a bit lower than they should when I ran my diagnostics.” She grabbed her tools and within a few moments had the mods off the gun and set about making them work appropriately. It was a fiddly little thing, not really important as it wasn’t effecting the shotgun’s performance a lot but when it came to her mods, she wanted them running perfectly.

“Is it safe for me to come out now?” At Tali’s voice, Pyjak lifted an arm, calling out her name in a friendly tone.

“It should be safe for your blushing ears.” Pyjak grinned at the quarian as she moved over to the table and sat down beside her.

“Blushing ears?” There ws a heavy amount of confusion to her tone and Pyjak grinned with a shake of her head.

“Yah, when some humans blush, it starts in their ears.” She turned back to the heat sink mod and looked over the servos and the connections to the chip.

“Pyjak’s do that some times.” Wrex let out a little huehuehue that had Tali giving a little giggle in return. Pyjak rolled her eyes before she carefully fixed a few slightly loose ones and then ran a quick diagnostic through it. She let out a low but pleased hum that the increase in the numbers. She carefully put the mod back together and then grabbed the damage booster mod and carefully disassembled it.

“What are you doing there, Py..Pyjak?” She hesitated on the name and Pyjak tilted her head, noticing a bit of corrosion on one of the connectors.

“You know you can call me Jakkie if Pyjak makes you cringe too much. I don’t care either way.” She gave a small shrug before she carefully pulled the connector out and grimaced. “Did you get this waterlogged, pops?” She grumbled it slightly, not really asking the question as she carefully cleaned the corrosion away to look at the chip to see if it was damaged. It wouldn’t be too hard to replace the chip but it would be a bit more time consuming, however the chip looked fine underneath the corrosion and she silently cheered at the thought that she only needed to change out the connector.

“I’m sorry. It’s your name, I should get used to it. It just makes me feel like... you know, making fun of you.” Tali’s voice was soft and Pyjak glanced at her. "Like if one of us was named Suit Rat."

“It’s fine. I don’t care either way. Jakkie is fine if it makes you feel like you aren’t insulting me.” She honestly didn’t care. She liked her name, Pyjak was a good name. However she was extremely partial to Jaxyradi. Wrex was the only one who called her it and that was when they were alone and where he was absolutely sure no one could hear them. Krogans took the sacredness of an unsung name serious. No one was allowed to share the name but her and it was a treasured gift to whoever was blessed by the bearer of it and it needed to be protected.

“Alright. She could see Tali nodding out of the corner of her eye. “So what are you doing?” Pyjak finished carefully taking out the old corroded connector and grabbed a new one from her little box.

“Fixing pops’ mods on his shotgun.” She leaned closer, staring at the small wires she was connecting and carefully slide them into place with an ease that only came with nearly nine year of practice.

“Oh? What style of mod? Kassa Fabrication?” At the question Wrex let out a bark of laughter and Pyjak found herself chuckling as well.

“No.” She gave a slight snort. Kassa Fabrication _wished_ their mods were at the levels hers were at. She gently managed to crimp the end of the connector and then carefully inserted it back into the right place. “I made these myself.” She sat up a little straighter as she put the mod back together and then ran the diagnostic on it. It was habit more than anything because she knew the numbers would be back where they were supposed to be.

“You made them?” Tali’s voice edged upwards with something akin to disbelief but Pyjak didn’t let it get to her. Modding was a skill that took some people years to get into to make a standard mod using public schematics.

“Yup.” Once she was proven correct by her omni-tool, she grabbed Wrex’s shot gun and with practised ease, had the mods all clicking back into place within a minute. “Perfect.” She gave it one more cursory diagnostic to check the numbers and all the software and mods were fully functional. “There you are, pops. She will work perfect. Just be careful when slamming people in the face with it.” She threw him a look. “Remember, hit them with the bottom of the gun, not the side.” He grumbled, sounding more upset and angry than he actually was as he grabbed the shotgun from her.

“Yah yah. I’m going down to the cargo bay.” He lumbered off and Pyjak chuckled to herself as she gathered her various tools up, putting them back into their respective places.

“So when you said you made them...” Tali’s voice trailed off and Pyjak raised an eyebrow.

“It means I made them.” She glanced at the quarian before turning to fully stare at them. “Okay. Here.” She sat down and then pulled her bag of miscellaneous mods towards her. “I make mods specific to guns. These are old models of mods from guns we don’t use anymore. I cannibalize them for newer models. What type of gun do you use?” She looked at the quarian expectantly and Tali looked slightly taken a back before she shifted in her spot.

“I use a Katana IV shotgun.” She said it carefully and Pyjak nodded, picking through her mods. Within a few minutes she had a damage booster mod sitting in her hand.

“Here. Will give you an increase in damage by 19.67%, if I had more time and wanted to get finicky with it I could increase that another 11.08% but I’m feeling lazy.” She handed it to the qurian, who rolled the mod over in her hands.

She brought up her omni-tool, scanning the mod as if to check out the inner workings. She leaned back after a moment and let out a breath. “ _Keelah_. How did you make this?” She gestured to her with the mod and Pyjak shrugged.

“Simple. I have several main software programs that can bypass certain locked thresholds that are there for the sake of pretend safety and that can hep minimize the heat caused the increased damage given to the heat sink. I mean it would work a bit better if you added a cooling mod to the unit, I could get another bonus to efficiency that could go to the increase of damage.” She shrugged slightly, “As for how, just a chip, some connectors, and a few bits here or there and then boom, mod for a Katana shotgun. Granted its pretty universal. I could make a few adjustments to the mounting mechanism and fit it to just about all model types.” She picked the mod from Tali’s fingers.

“The older models are more alike then the manufacturers would like to admit. The newer gens are a bit better but they are still pretty similar. I have to fight a little with switching out parts to get them between models and manufacturers, a pain in the ass but more than doable.” She set the mod back in Tali’s hand with another shrug. She loved making mods and fiddling with software, it was one of her favourite hobbies. Her Kovalyov VII was modded to hell and back and she knew the manufacturer would not be able to recognize it. She even changed the colour of it but the functionality of the weapon was that much better. She liked bringing weapons to the edge of what they could handle and then dance on it. She liked the idea of a rifle being an edge away from working at it’s top peak performance and exploding.

“That is amazing. If I bring you my shotgun, could you take a look at it?” Tali sounded excited and Pyjak went to accept when a turian came around the corner, catching her attention. He was wearing blue and black armour, his body was built like every other bird she had seen but he was _tall_. Broad shoulders and carapace that narrowed down to a thin waist that gave Pyjak the incredibly urge to dig her fingers into it. She flicked the side of her index finger with her thumb nail as she tilted her head.

His plates were grey and his fringe was a decent size, letting her know that he wasn’t young but he wasn’t old either. However his colony markings were a vivid shade of blue against his plates. Her head tilted the other way and she must have caught his attention because he met her gaze. She felt a smirk at her mouth. He had very nice blue eyes. It wasn’t often someone caught her attention, she didn’t live a life conducive to having any type of real fun in realtionships, but there was always an odd occasion where someone caught her interest.

He gave a small cough and looked away before he took a half step towards her and the table. He stopped, rubbing his forehead and fringe as if embarassed. “Do you know where Doctor Chakwas is? I was told to check in with her to start a medical record.” His voice was sinful enough to made her shiver and she leaned against the table slightly before jerking her chin at the windows behind him.

She had always enjoyed turian voices, with that distinctive flange they had but his was like pure chocolate. However, that voice made sure that the turian had her full and _total_ interest. She was raised by a krogan, she wasn’t exactly shy about experimenting when it came to sex and turians tended to be one of the more exciting ones she experimented with. Hell she had a borderline fuck buddy whenever she was on Omega.

Gavorn was a little rough around the edges and wider than the usual turian but he was one hell of a lay. One could tell he _definitely_ wasn’t shy when it came to cross-species liaisons, but then again on Omega everyone liked the asari and had tried them once or twice, herself included. She flicked her gaze back up to the new turian’s face and his mandibles twitched slightly, pulling tighter to his face as he swallowed, looking everywhere but her. She raised an eyebrow slightly, he was nervous and didn’t that just set her on point.

“The door is just behind you.” Tali’s voice tugged at Pyjak’s attention and she looked away from the turian and towards at the quarian rather lazily.

“Go get your shotgun. I’ll fix it up for you.” At her words, the woman nearly squealed and scrambled away from the table. She glanced at the turian from the corner of her eyes and he had followed Tali’s direction. Pyjak turned back to her kit and gave a small shiver. She _really_ needed to get laid and properly. The colonist boys never really did it for her and humans were just so... _boring_.

She gave a faint scoff and flicked the side of her index finger with her thumbnail again before looking at the medical bay windows. The turian was looking in her direction and she put her elbow on the table before leaning on her palm. She stared right back at him before she gave a wink and smirked as his mandibles twitched with uncertainty or was it he was flustered, she couldn’t really tell with him being so far away. However he looked away and Tali dropped onto the bench beside her, her old shotgun clattering against the table.

“Can you show me?” She sounded so excited that Pyjak had to give a low chuckle.

“Yes, I can show you.” She looked away from the turian and picked up Tali’s beat up old gun. “Now this... _this_ will be fun.” It was beat up but she could already see the areas she could improve efficiency and boost the performance of the weapon. “Okay, first we need to do this.” She started pulling apart the gun and Tali leaned towards her with heavy interest, watching her work.

She glanced at the window again and the turian was watching her. Oh pops was gunna kill her but if that turian said anything else to her, she might just have to jump him in a supply closet.


	17. Of Doctors and Mouthy Krogans

Garrus Vakarian resisted the urge to look out the window to look at the strange human female again. He had never seen one painted like that before, with the marks on her skin and he certainly had never seen one with such a coloured fringe. Dr. Michel’s fringe had been close but it had been darker, a touch more brown, that female’s hair was _bright_ red. Not to mention she was muscled, it was... _strange_ to see the muscles the corded her arms and her shoulders. He has known a lot of human males who had muscling similar to that but a lot larger but he had always assumed human females were soft, _squishy_. She looked neither.

“You must be Garrus Vakarian.” A silver haired human female came into the medbay and he nodded. “Glad to have you aboard the Normandy. I am Doctor Chakwas, I just need to give you a standard check over, get your basics on file.” She gave him a smile and his mandibles flicked out a bit with nervousness and a touch of excitement. He had never been on a human ship before and certainly not on the hunt for a rogue Spectre. Saren Arterius gave all turians a bad name and he couldn’t wait to help be one of the people who took him down.

He glanced out the window, unable to help himself. She was working on a gun of some kind and the quarian was watching intently and they seemed to be talking but her _fringe_. He wondered how it had gotten to be such a vibrant red. “Are you looking at our quarian or our secondary krogan?” At the question he turned to look at the doctor, feeling the neck of his hide flushing slightly before her words caught him.

“Pardon?” Secondary what? Kroga- He turned to look out the window and checked. No, there was a quarian and a human. No krogan in sight.

“I was being facetious.” The doctor laughed slightly and Garrus looked back at her. He could never tell with humans and he flushed a bit more but the doctor shook her head as she came over and started with his blood pressure. “She would tell you different though.” Her mouth quirked up and he couldn’t tell if the doctor was being serious or not.

“She would say she is a krogan?” He asked it low and the doctor nodded. Garrus paused, opened him mouth, closed it, shook his head a little and then stared at the doctor for a second. “You’re being serious?” He watched her and she nodded again.

“Very serious. In fact I would say she is krogan in every single way but physical. She has already headbutted one of the crew and so I warn you to perhaps stay a bit back as I don’t know how she will respond to a turian.” The doctor frowned slightly, her eyebrows pulling low. “But she did mention that if one wasn’t racist, she wouldn’t feel the need to do that. So perhaps you will be fine but just... watch her a little bit before interacting. Just to be safe. I don’t exactly have practice in fixing cracked plates.” She gave him a small smile and Garrus didn’t exactly know what to say to that.

He reached up and scratched at his brow plates. “She... headbutt-”

“Yes. Apparently with no warning. I can’t imagine what was said but I suppose it doesn’t matter.” The doctor stuck a thermometer in his mouth before drawing some blood. “Have you been having any medical issues?” The doctor gave him a look and Garrus immediately shook his head.

“I just had my last physical at C-sec, everything was fine.” He had always been healthy and he hadn’t made any changes to his diet or his habits.

She pulled out the thermometer before nodding and dropping the disposable cap in the small biohazard waste bin. “What about allergies?” She moved back to her desk and picked up a data pad.

“None that I know of.” He crossed his arms over his chest and she quirked an eyebrow.

“Levo?” She gave him the standard, ‘I will know if you lie to me’ look that every single doctor seemed to always perfect.

“Wouldn’t be working at C-sec if I did.” If you worked c-sec you couldn’t be allergic to half the species on the Citadel. It didn’t make sense. Although when that levo-dextro allergy vaccine came along, they had seen an influx of newer recruits.

“Point taken.” The doctor scrolled through a data pad before she glanced up at him. “Any augmentation I need to know about? Bone weave, skin weave, cybernetics, that sort of thing.” Garrus shook his head at all of it, he had nothing. “Your visor?” She glanced at it and he shook his head again.

“Just a standard press and hold, no ports.” He tapped the side of it with a talon. There was no need to get a port into his head and give perps the ability to try and rip it out to give them an advantage.

She nodded, tapping on her data pad. “Behavioural issues?”

He shrugged, the gesture he had picked up from watching humans on the Citadel. He found it to be one of the more interesting actions they used regularly. “I’m pretty even-keel.”

“Good. We will have enough behavioural issues with two krogans on board.” The doctor’s mouth twitched upwards slightly at that. “Should be exciting enough. I probably won’t be bored for lack of work, that’s for sure. With everyone getting shot at and what not.” She looked up fully from the data pad. “I will make sure to get a few more textbooks on turian biology and stock up on more dextro based medications. But I think I have everything I need from you, Officer Vakarian. I hope not to see you here sooner than you need to be.” With that she turned back to her desk, setting the datapad down.

“Thank you, doctor.” He nodded at her and she waved him off slightly as she sat at her desk, rapidly typing into her terminal. He left out the door and Shepard pushed off the wall.

“Glad to see you in there, Vakarian. I wanted to show you where you will be bunking for your stay with us.” He gave Garrus a friendly, if a bit polite, smile and Garrus nodded and followed the commander to a large elevator. “Currently we don’t have any sleeping pods for non-humans, nor do we have a functional barracks. Don’t ask I have no clue why. So I have some cots down in the cargo bay you can make use of.” Garrus nodded again, his hands clasped behind his back as the elevator doors closed. He hadn’t even been expected to be allowed on board of the vessel to help, he would take a cot where ever they had one. “You will have two roommates because I don’t think I could convince Jakkie to use the sleeper pods. She will want to stay with Wrex more than likely.” There was a faint sigh of something like exasperation to he commander’s tone that Garrus could only imagine the reason for.

“It’s a big space so I hope you are able to find somewhere to sleep. I know Tali’Zorah has already decided to bunk in engineering, Wrex is bunking next to the weapons lockers. So you can pick a spot where you can find room.” Shepard ran a hand through his hair as the elevator door opened and they both walked out. When he had gotten on board, Garrus had set his pack down by the lockers and looked around a little bit before he had gone to see the doctor.

He liked the look of the mako and figured that was the best use of his talent when he wasn’t out on runs. “Do you mind me working on the mako while I am down here?”

“Absolutely not. If you can get her running smoother than what she is, I’ll take that as a bonus.” Shepard actually sent him a grin and Garrus’ mandibles fluttered slightly with nervousness.

“Thank you, Shepard. For bringing me along. You didn’t need too.” He meant it, he hadn’t expected to be allowed to hunt for Saren and he was glad he had the opportunity to do just that.

“No thanks needed, Vakarian. We just need to focus on catching Saren for what he did.” He clapped his hand against Garrus shoulder, startling him slightly. “Now, there is a cot hiding behind the mako there. Make use of it. Of it it gets too noisy in here, crawl into the mako to sleep. I’ve heard krogan snores can give you tinnitus.” His voice raised and Garrus was slightly confused until he spotted a scarred krogan with red eyes by the weapons locker that turned around at the words

“We gotta snore loud to let our enemies know where we are so they can avoid us.” The krogan gave a toothy smile that seemed a bit unsettling to Garrus. Then again, krogan had always unsettled him but it had a lot to do with the fact he had several krogan describe how they would snap off his fringe in very vivid detail back at C-sec. “Are you just picking up any old stray, Shepard?” The krogan crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at Garrus as Garrus moved over to pick up his pack so he could take it over to the cot Shepard had said he could use.

“I picked up you didn’t I, Wrex?” Shepard chuckled slightly before he stopped mid stride. “What did you do to your cot?” It came out sharp and Garrus looked over and the krogan looked back at the bare bones cot that was attached to the wall as if he hadn’t seen it before.

Garrus noticed the mattress and what looked like a bunch of blankets and pillows were on the floor stuffed underneath the metal frame. “Nothing.” The krogan shrugged and Shepard pinched his nose with a heavy exhale.

“You can’t exactly fit under there, Wrex, so _what_ is it doing down there?” The commander looked at him and the krogan shrugged again.

“Nothing.” If Garrus didn’t know krogans like he did, he would almost think the giant creature was fucking with the commander.

Shepard exhaled slowly, moving from pinching his nose to rubbing his forehead. “Am I going to get an answer out of you?”

A that the krogan gave a grin and a low heh heh heh. “Nah. I like you spinning in circles chasing your tail.” Garrus grabbed his pack, slinging it over his shoulder. He was surprised. The krogan _had_ been fucking with the commander.

The look on Shepard’s face was pained and he seemed to count for a few second. “Wrex...”

“Unlike you squishy creatures, I don’t need fluff. I don’t want to get soft. Not that it’s any of your business how I sleep.” The krogan crossed his arms over his chest. “The only way it concerns you is if you are gunna be crawling into my cot with me later tonight and you aren’t my type, Shepard.” Garrus let out a snort of laughter at that that he immediately covered up with a cough. The krogan eyed him slightly before grinning. “Leave it be, Shepard.” The krogan shook his head and the commander looked nearly defeated for a second before he looked at Garrus.

“You should be okay to find your cot and start on the mako if you want. We need her ready for Therum.” He gave Garrus a look and he gave him a sharp nod.

“Yes, sir.” He would have saluted but he wasn’t in the military and he didn’t know how it worked with spectres. The commander nodded before walking off muttering about a deity saving him from mouthy krogans.

“Kiss ass.” The krogan rumbled it out and Garrus looked at him, unsure if the krogan meant him and the krogan was staring straight at him. “Yah, you. Kiss ass.” He let out a tsk and turned back to the cot. Garrus didn’t exactly know how to reply so he didn’t as he made his way across the cargo bay, locating the cot Shepard had told him about. He shoved his pack underneath it before he turned to look at the mako with a nod.

He had a lot of work to do before they reached Therum.


	18. Of Changing Strategies and Talks About Feelings

Pyjak’s eyes were nearly gritty as she focused on Tali’s shotgun. She had been helping her optimize it for a while and she just about done. She glanced over to the quarian and she was resting her head on her arms on the table. She gave a slight smirk at that before she clicked the last mod into place. She was happy with how it turned out. She had given her a cooling mod, a damage booster, she had tweaked some poor efficiencies in the base programming, and also managed to slip in a heat sink mod to increase the amount of shots each heat sink had.

She nudged the quarian and she shot up straight, almost snorting as she woke up. “ _What_? I wasn’t sleeping!” The quarian looked at her and Pyjak smirked at her.

“ _Sure_ you weren’t.” She nearly laughed at how affronted Tali’s body language was.

The quarian held herself stiff before her shoulders slumped. “Keelah, I’m sorry, Jakkie. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I _really_ did want to learn.”

Pyjak patted her back gently. “It's okay, I got carried away and you had a long day from what I heard.” She held the shotgun out. “Here you are. Should run at peak optimization. If you have any issues with it, let me know and I will tweak some settings for you.” She prided herself on her work and she wanted to know if someone needed something adjusted so it worked perfect for them.

Tali took it with a slightly subdued squeal. “You even made it look nicer! How did you do that?” The quarian clutched the shotgun to her chest and Pyjak shook her head slightly.

“Mods make anything look nice.” She didn’t actually believe that but she had a feeling people felt things looked better when she was finished because they believed it _should_ look better.

“Thank you, Jakkie! I really appreciate it!” The quarian did look like she appreciated it and Pyjak nodded.

“Why don’t you head to bed? I’m going to clean this shit up and head down for some shut eye myself.” She gestured the mess of parts on the table and Tali hesitated.

“Would you like some help putting things away?” It was strange, Pyjak knew she couldn’t see Tali’s fae but she 100% knew the quarian was giving her an earnest look.

“It’s alright, I’m a bit of a bitch when it comes to people touching my modding materials.” She threw the quarian a look and she nodded. “Have a good sleep, Tali.” She waved as the quarian returned the words and left the mess hall. Pyjak turned to the mess and carefully started sorting out the parts and meticulously ensured each piece was in the exact space she needed it to be in her case.

“So, I have a solution.” Shepard sat down beside her with oof and Pyjak grunted at him. “What’s all this?” He reached over to pick up a heat mod chip and Pyjak reflexively slapped his hand.

“Don’t touch my modding pieces.” She threw him a look and he lifted his hands in the air.

“I didn’t know you were into modding.” He tilted his head and she knew he was looking at her, studying her like she was a bug. She wondered if he was looking for that little girl names Jane. She wanted to snort at that. He would have one helluva time trying to find her because she didn't exist.

“Pops got me into it. I mod all the weapons we have. I just finished modding Tali’s shotgun but I got a little carried away though. I missed my bedtime.” She yawned as she said it. The fact she had come in with a hangover meant she had overshot her bedtime... by a _lot_.

“Would you be willing to mod some of mine? I could help. Give us something to do together at least.” He asked it softly and she tilted her head as she looked at him.

“We can do that but you don’t have to try and force this, Shepard.” She gestured between the two of them. “I’m not exactly the easiest person to get along with.” She had a krogan dad for fuck’s sake. Not a lot of people could handle her brunt and almost callous attitude that had a hefty dose of down right deviant humor.

“Don’t sell yourself short. I would say you are pretty easy to get along with.” He nudged his shoulder against hers as he crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned forward, resting them on the table.. “You were hanging out with Tali and then there was Joker. Joker tends not to get along with most people. So that’s a win for you.” She could tell he was trying to boost her up but she honestly didn’t really need it.

“Joker is hilarious. It’s easy to get along with him if you get his humor. And Tali’s likes mods.” She carefully put away more of her things and Shepard nudged her again.

“To tell you the honest truth, I’m pretty difficult to get along with.” He said it conversationally and she resisted the urge to scoff.

“Oh _really_?” She rolled her eyes as she looked at him. “Every six words out of your mouth is an order, who _doesn’t_ want to hang around _that_?” Cause everyone loved a military dude barking orders out like ‘ _No headbutting racist_ s!’.

“Actually, I try to go every ten words. It’s better for morale.” He grinned at her, surprising her with a wink.

“Oh you’ve got _jokes_.” She looked at him, surprised that she actually had the urge to laugh at that.

“Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here every single day of the week.” He made like he was tipping an invisible hat to a crowd as he also waved.

She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging up her mouth. “Dork.” That was so cheesy that she wanted to pretend to gag to let him know how bad it was but she refrained.

“Still made you smile.” He nudged her again before he sighed and she continued to put her bits and pieces away until the table was clear. She set it all in the case and zipped it up. She was wiped and was ready to crash against a bulkhead and sleep for several hours. Shepard let out another sigh. “I don’t want to change you, Jakkie.” At the quiet words she grimaced. She didn’t do talks like that, the ooey-gooey on ones about feelings. She really didn’t. She was used to fighting the feelings out. “It seems I need to adjust myself. I grew up military and I am used to giving order and having my crew respect them without question.” He glanced at her. “So I need to adjust because you have a _serious_ issue with authority.” His slight smirk let her know he wasn’t attempting to chastise her and she scoffed slightly.

“No I don’t. It’s just pops is the only authority worth listening to.” She crossed her arms over her chest, fighting back a smile as she looked at him.

“Gotta love that contrary nature of krogans. God help me.” He made a cross over his chest and she scoffed, shoving at him slightly and he chuckled. “So, Jakkie.” He turned to her slightly, clasping his hands together as he looked at her. “Could you please, when you hear someone say something you don’t like about aliens, give them a warning before you headbutt them in the face?” He held up a hand as if he expected her to interrupt. “Just give them a chance to backpedal out of headbutting range. That is all I am asking of you. I’m not telling or ordering, I am simply asking you, please allow one warning before you attempt to rearrange their face?” Pyjak narrowed her eyes at him. She hated to admit it, but it was a fucking fair compromise, one she wouldn’t actually mind doing, it had the added bonus of, you know, not being a fucking order.

“Figure that solution out on your own or did you have help?” She half wondered if she needed to talk to Wrex about handing out a cheat sheet to rein in her behaviours. Then again she knew her pops wouldn’t have given anyone leave to tell her to stop head butting racists. He actively encouraged it so him telling someone to stop didn't make sense.

“I had some time to think about it and I understand that you have no investment in a relationship between us so I have to give a little. I want to get to know you, you are all I have left of my family and I can’t have a relationship with you if I am actively pushing you away by being overbearing.” He shook his head slightly and she watched him, letting the silence grow. “You don’t have the memories I do, you don’t remember what I do. You're right. You don’t know me and I was caught up in what I knew and what I remember to understand how it felt from your perspective.” Well didn’t that just make her feel like a bitch? Pyjak resisted the urge to wince. He was trying, a lot harder than she was.

He turned, moving his leg over the bench to straddle it. He looked at her intently and she resisted the urge to squirm at it. “I am so thankful you made it off Mindoir alive, Jakkie. No matter the language you use, no matter the name you chose for yourself, no matter who raised you, no matter how many stories you tell me that horrify me and give me a heart attack because you have been in a lot of scary situations, no matter how many times you verbally gut punch me with being flippant about everything to do with who you were before Wrex found you. I am so fucking thankful that you survived, that Wrex found you, that he took you in, that he loved you, that he fought for you, that he gave you a home, no matter how unconventional.” The words made a strange burn in her eyes that she refused to even _think_ was tears.

“He’s a pretty great dad.” She couldn’t have gotten a better one and wasn’t that low blow from the commander. Using her pops against her like that? Anyone who appreciated her pops and all he did for her, was an alright fucking person in her books, one of the better ones. The sneaky bastard 

“I’m kind of jealous, to be honest.” He said it and she scoffed, throwing him a look of disbelief. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not jealous about the about the krogan renegade bounty hunter, giving you a pistol for your seventh birthday, teaching you how to shoot rocket launchers at the age of seventeen, and letting you get blackout drunk at far too young of an age thing. None of that.” He chuckled slightly. “I’m jealous that you have a parent who loves you, who would do anything for you, in your corner.”

Well didn’t that just push things into that ooey-gooey feeling talk section that she did not like. “You have that Anderson guy.” She gestured a bit helplessly at it, not wanting to get into that territory of conversation. Talking about how great her pops was, was nearly guaranteed to make her a meeping mess.

“He’s military and he cares about me, I know he does, but it’s not the same thing.” Shepard shook his head. “I look at how Wrex looks at you and how he talks about you. You’re his _entire_ world and he can’t stop bragging about you to anyone who stops long enough. I swear if he had a holo of you he would be shoving it into people’s faces.” At the words she groaned and buried her face into her arms.

“He used to when I was a kid. He showed them to _everyone_.” He had, showing off holos of her in her first armour, with her first gun, on her first job, after her Rite. She knew he still had those holos, all of them tucked away for some occasion where he would get drinking with some mercs buddies and he would start bragging and he would drag them all out again to show off. ‘ _Look at her! That’s my girl! I fucking did the universe right by her, didn’t I?_ ’ He always managed to look so proud of her and it was always embarrassing but he was her pops, her dad. She loved him to the edges of the universe and back.

“My point is that I’m kind of jealous because you have this person in your life that you can trust and rely on and who will always be there for you when the chips are down and you have nothing left. Who will look at you when you fail and help you back again so you can try again and make sure that the next time they will will be with you every step of the way.” Shepard’s voice was low and Pyjak hated that her eyes were blurry. “He looked at you and he decided, this one, this one is gunna be mine and I’m gunna be there for her, no matter what.”

“Are you seriously trying to make me cry right now?” The words were muffled in her arms and Shepard chuckled before rubbing across her shoulders, patting her back.

“Not really but it’s good to know you aren’t a hardass all the time.” At the teasing words she hastily wiped at her eyes before she peeked at him.

“Pops doesn’t count. Everyone knows he’s my soft spot.” It honestly didn’t count when the entire universe knew just who your soft spot was.

“I’m jealous of him too, you know.” He tilted his head, looking at her with a sigh. “He got to be with you as you grew up and I’m jealous of that because I honestly wanted to be there to see you grow up too.” He honestly looked genuinely sad at that and Pyjak resisted the urge to make a face at it. She didn’t really do well with feelings. He gave another heavy sigh before looking at her. “Even if you did turn into a foul mouthed, krogan updated woman who has a questionable taste in deviant hanar porn.” At the words her mouth dropped open.

“Oh you got _joke_ , jokes.” She leaned away from the table crossing her arms over her chest and he laughed before he got up. “You can’t just roast me like that and leave, Shepard.” He snapped a sharp salute at her before he turned and walked away. She found herself smiling at his retreating back. That had been a good one, she had to give him that.

She shook her head as she grabbed her case and headed to the elevator to go down to the cargo bay. She rubbed at the back of her neck. She had been hunched over the table for a bit too long and her headache was starting to come back. She ignored it as she got into the elevator and headed down. She loved modding but if she didn’t space herself out she usually got a tension headache, although she had a feeling that her headache was more hangover related than tension related.

The elevator opened up and she headed straight for the lockers, setting her modding case next to her other one. She turned and made her way to the cot when she stopped and stared. It had been a long time since her pops had made her up a bed. She looked at the mess of blankets and pillows tucked underneath his bare cot that he was flopped on and nearly melted. The damn talk was making her feel meepy about everything. Her pops was the best person in the universe, bar none.

She moved over to him, knocking on his forehead plate affectionately. One of his eyes cracked open and he grumbled at her slightly but she ignored it. “Thank you, pops.” She nuzzled her nose into the side of his face until he waved her off with another grumble. She kicked off her boots and crawled underneath the cot and into the blankets. She tucked the blankets around herself and snuggled into them, feeling all together like she was eight years old again and safe from anyone in the world that wanted to hurt her.

Wrex rolled on the cot above her and his arm flopped down. “Spent some more time with your quad brother, the commander, did you? Can smell it.” His voice was a low grumble but she could hear the edge it had, a bit of something that had her reaching out and grasping his large hand in her own. A need for comfort that she didn’t hesitate to give.

“Yah.” There wasn’t a response from him and she squeezed his hand like she used to do when she was young and scared of the dark and bad dreams. “He said he was thankful you rescued me, took me in, and that you raised me to be, and I quote, ‘a foul mouthed, krogan updated woman who has a questionable taste in deviant hanar porn.’. Was kind of jealous too.” At the words Wrex chuckled, giving her hand a squeeze.

“He ain’t half bad, Pyjak, he ain’t me but he ain’t half bad.” He chuckled it out, holding her hand tightly.

“I don’t say it enough pops but thank you.” She squeezed his hand and he gave a small grumble.

“What do I need thanks for? Having you eat me out of house and home?” At the words she smiled slightly. She came by her inability to talk about feelings naturally.

Her chest felt full as she looked at where he held her hand. “For choosing me.” She owed him the world for that, for taking her in, loving her, and fighting for her when she needed him the most.

There was a thick silence before he squeezed her hand slightly. “No one else would have be worth it, Jaxyradi. Your my girl for a reason and I did right by you.”

At the words she smiled, wiping at her eyes, surprised to see they were leaking tears. “You did the _best_ by me. Still do.” It came out in a whisper and she smiled.

He scoffed, making a sound of disgust. “Oh stop it with that sappy shit and go to sleep you hairless, little pyjak!” He said it but he didn’t let her hand go, he still held it tightly in his own.

“Love you pops.” She meant it every damn time she said it and she would keep saying it so he knew.

His hand tightened on her own and she settled into the blankets and closed her eyes. She was just barely drifting off when he gave her hand another squeeze. “I love you too, my girl.” He murmured the words into the dark and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	19. Of Missions and Discussions for Later

John felt he had sort of accomplished something with Jakkie the night before, at least she had stopped attempting to stare him down. He wasn’t going to admit it outloud but if he hadn’t made it as high up in the military as he had, that death glare she had thrown at him would have made him want to back down. However, while she didn’t explicitly agree to his light suggestion, he had a feeling she was going to listen to it.

It was hard, working through the feelings of realizing his little sister was alive and she was so far from what she had been previous that she was unrecognizable. He could see nothing of their parents in her, nothing of their mother especially because she did look remarkably like her, if a bit different. But there was no soft laughter, no soft smiles, no gentle motions or even the calm steadfastness of their father. She was right, she was a stranger and he had to come to terms with that. There was nothing he recognized from who he remembered her being as a little girl or even who he remembered their parents being.

She was loud and brash, she smirked and grinned, and laughed so loudly that it was hard not to laugh with her. She was strong as well, it was apparent from muscling that clung to her frame. He figured that no one could be raised by a krogan and not come out of it without some sort of strength. She was also highly intelligent and he didn’t use that lightly. He had pulled the file that the Alliance had on her and she had nearly a hundred mod patents to her name and had tested well above certification levels that she was able to get a surprising amount of higher education without actually stepping foot into a classroom.

He had to commend Wrex for that. The krogan had allowed her to develop and flourish in the areas she had excelled in and he pushed her to get her certifications that she needed. He doubled she would have had such a readily available supply of modding equipment without them. Not only that but Wrex had also kept meticulous medical records on her and John had able to see her grow up through them. She had been healthy, a few broken bones here or there, the worst of which had been a skull fracture but then Wrex had paid for her to get a bone weave in her head and neck within the year after it. He had taken care of her with a level of care that was surprising and while it did hurt to admit, she had been better off in his care.

Shepard knew there was no way he could have given her half of what Wrex had. He didn’t know how the krogan had managed to do it but he figured there was a lot of leeway when it came to taking laws and rules as mere loose suggestions rather than unbreakable tenants. A part of him had wanted to find some aspect of her file that showed Wrex had messed up somewhere or somehow but there had been nothing. By all accounts, he had been a model father, if one ignored his liberal allowance of her drinking habits, bounty hunting, and heavy weapons use at a young age.

Shepard adjusted his greaves on his legs and stomped his boots slightly to ensure they were on properly before grabbing his helmet. Wrex had even managed to get her formally adopted and impressed an asari judge to do so. He wanted to hate him for not having the chance to know about her when she was sixteen but Jakkie had been correct, her list of destruction and foster placements in the four months the Alliance had her, had been… _extensive_.

He shook his head at that slightly as he headed out of the commander’s quarters. They had reached Therum and he wanted to get in and get Dr. T’soni out as quickly as they could. He didn’t know if the young asari could be an asset but the fact that Saren and Matriarch Benezia wanted to get her was enough of a reason for him to want to get to her first. He nodded at the various crew he passed on his way to the elevator for the cargo bay. He wasn’t entirely sure who he wanted to take with him on the job but based on what he knew, Dr. T’Soni was researching a Prothean ruin and if he had any guess, tech experts would be a great asset. His mind shifted to Jakkie before he shut that down. He wasn’t about to take her out on a potentially dangerous mission.

He stepped onto the elevator and adjusted his grip on his helmet. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was good out on a mission, he believed she more than likely was. It was just he had just found her again and he wasn’t too keen on potentially losing her. He glanced up at the roof of the elevator and after another few moments the elevator door opened and he stepped out into the cargo bay, looking around.

The small group of recruits he had collected were milling around, Vakarian’s legs were sticking out from underneath the mako, Chief Williams and Lieutenant Aleko were by the weapons bench, Tali was talking to Adams near the door to engineering, and Wrex was sitting on his cot, his eyes narrowed. Shepard glanced around, wondering where Jakkie was before a movement in the mess beneath Wrex’s cot caught his attention. He frowned before he paused completely as Jakkie’s red hair became visible for a moment. He looked away, puzzling it out. Wrex had made her a bed. It was almost absurd and he wanted to push it away but there she was, curled up inside the mess of blankets and pillows that Shepard had questioned Wrex about the night before. 4He pushed it away, not quite sure what he was feeling about it.

“We are above Therum. I need a team to go down. I am expecting geth and with Prothean ruins so I’d like some tech experts.” That much made the most sense, at the words everyone but Wrex looked at him, even Garrus came out from underneath the mako to stand up. John nodded at Tali, she was a clear candidate. “Tali, I want you down there. You know geth better than anyone else.”

At the words the quarian gave a nod. “I’ll get ready to go, Commander Shepard.” Tali nodded him almost vigorously before she bolted for engineering and to, what he assumed was, get her things. Shepard frowned before he looked around. He wasn’t quite sure who else he would want on his six. Williams’ face was still heavily bruised and he knew she was out, at least for the next day or so.

He glanced at Wrex and the krogan shook his head. “Don’t look at me. I’ll sit this one out. Prothean ruins creep me out.” His voice was low and he shook his head again, looking very firm in his decision to keep sitting where he was sitting.

Shepard frowned before glancing between Kaiden and Garrus. The biotic rubbed at his forehead slightly, which did no bode well for his biotics or his head and so Shepard pointed at the turian. “Get ready then, Vakarian, we drop in twenty.” It would give him a chance to see how well he worked in the team as well as how well he took orders.

Vakarian nodded, looking very much like he wanted to salute, “Yes, sir.” He moved around the mako and Shepard nodded slightly before heading over to Alenko and Williams.

“You’re looking like you might need to see Chakwas, Alenko.” Shepard tapped his helmet against his leg and Alenko gave a small nod.

“My L2 is acting up a bit, getting her to run a diagnostic on it might help.” To his credit, he didn’t look too upset about not going on the mission and Shepard appreciated that. He patted Alenko on the shoulder as he moved past and then looked at Williams.

Her arms were crossed over her chest and the taping on her face had been taken off. “Are you sure you don’t want to go down there with a team like that?” At the words Shepard pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Williams, I need to be able to work with all the members of this team equally. Tali is great with the geth and Vakarian is great with a rifle and is good with tech.” It made sense to bring them both, Tali was a no brainer and with Alenko and Wrex out, it made sense that Vakarian would be a good choice.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, “I could-”

He held up a hand, “Williams, I hate to say it but no. You need to finish healing up before I feel good enough bringing you out on a mission with me.” He looked at her and she pressed her lips together tightly, looking away. “I like my team to be 100% before I take them with me.” That was the basics of who he was. He didn’t want to needlessly risk anyone he was in charge of. He did not want to end up having more Jenkins. That was bad enough.

“I just think you should have someone there who will _actually_ watch your back.” She said it low and Shepard raised an eyebrow.

“I am sure that Vakarian and Tali can watch my back just as well as you can.” He hadn’t seen them truly in action but he didn’t really think there was that much of an issue about that.

“But if the chips are down, do you really want to put your trust in people who would sell you out to help their own people?” She waved her hand slightly and Shepard blinked. Okay. That headbutt she had received did not come out of no where.

He held up a finger and pinned her with a look. “That was unacceptable and as soon as I get back you and I are going to have a chat about that and then I will be talking with the rest of the crew about that.” His voice was sharp and she looked taken aback slightly.

“I am just sayin-”

“No, Gunnery Chief Williams, I said we would talk about it when I got back. I don’t want to hear it right now.” Shepard turned on his heel and stalked towards the mako. Tali came out from engineering, he rshotgun in her hands and Garrus came around the mako with his own gear. “Let us know when we can make the drop, Joker.” Shepard called it out as he got into the mako, feeling his mood sour a bit with Ashley’s words. He didn’t understand people like that. They were part of a galactic community, that xenophobic bullshit didn’t fly.

Jakkie did tell him and didn’t that just make his mood even peachier?

He hated having to eat his own words.


	20. Of Questions from Doctors and Tossing Pyjaks

Pyjak came awake slowly, she had been half asleep when the cargo bay rumbled open and then there was another heavy rumble but as soon as everything fell quiet, she found herself falling back into sleep. That was until someone grabbed her pinky and tugged. She was instantly awake and whipped out her pistol from underneath her pillow, pointing it at them.

She blinked, clearing the sleep from her eyes and then made a face at Wrex from where he was bent down to look at her. “Pops.” She drug the word out, her voice petulant and he chuckled at her as she put the pistol back underneath her pillow. She buried her face back into it with a groan.

“Come on. I’m hungry.” He tugged on her pinky again and she made a face that she knew he couldn’t see but crawled out of her little bed. She yawned wide enough her jaw felt like it would unhinge entirely before she lifted her arms at Wrex with a slight pout. He crossed his arms over his chest and she wiggled them slightly in the air before he shook his head. “Alright you little fucker, come here.” He dropped his arms and then bent his knee slightly. Pyjak gave him a sleepy grin as she stumbled over and using the bent knee she scrambled up onto his hump. She flopped on it, holding onto his face plate as she closed her eyes with a happy sigh.

She felt content enough draped over him to nearly fall back asleep as he started to move. The slight movement always lulled her to sleep faster than anything else and she blipped out for a bit and when she became aware, Wrex was sitting down at a table in the mess. She grunted slightly and pulled herself closer to see what he was eating, her eyes barely open.

He held up a ration bar for her and she took it with a sleepy grin before nibbling on it, her cheek pressed to his forehead plate. “Are you eating it?” At the grumble she nodded. She hated mornings and hated being woken up but she figured that the new area with people they didn’t know had meant Wrex had taken to guarding her while she slept and he woke her up because he was more than hungry.

“Well, isn’t this a rather fascinating display.” At the chipper voice of the doctor, Pyjak grunted at the same time Wrex did.

“She ain’t finished sleeping and I’m hungry.” Wrex grumbled it out and Pyjak nodded. It was easier for him to watch her back while she was draped on him than it was for him to leave her somewhere to go and eat.

“Are you feeling ill, Pyjak?” At the question Pyjak cracked her eye open further.

She shook her head. “Jus’ tired.” She muttered it out before smoothing her hand across the scars on Wrex’s face plate affectionately.

“Coming down with something?” At the question Pyjak made a face.

“She had a hangover for most of yesterday. She’s just tired. Don’t worry, doc. She will be up and bouncing off the walls in an hour.” At the comforting rumble of Wrex’s voice Pyjak nodded a bit more enthusiastically. She truly liked the fact he gave into her slightly childish antics like refusing to wake up properly and pouting to get him to cart her around so she could cat nap on his hump.

She continued to nibble on her ration bar and the world felt easy and relaxed, even though she was more than aware there were others milling around that were more than likely staring. She didn’t care about the looks, they could fuck off for all she cared. “What we doin’ today?” She muttered it out and Wrex grunted.

“Shepard took out a team to find an asari scientist. We are waiting for them to come back. So it seems like we are just gunna be waiting for now.” He grumbled it out and she closed her eyes, taking another small bite of he ration bar.

“Fine by me.” She swallowed and then yawned wide, snuggling her cheek against his forehead plate.

He gave a low chuckle at that, she could feel it more than she could actually hear it. “You can’t lounge up there all day, Pyjak.”

“But it’s _comfy_ , pops.” She let herself indulge in a faint whine with the words and he just shook his head, his forehead plate moving underneath her cheek, making her frown slightly.

“Eat.” It was sternly said and she went back to nibbling on the ration bar. She was perfectly content to stay laying on his hump all day and she knew for a fact that unless something very exciting was going to happen, he would be perfectly fine with her staying up there as well. He just liked to grumble to hear himself grumble most times.

She wasn’t sure what time it was and she didn’t particularly care. Everything felt rather lazy as she continued to nibble on her ration bar. She liked the lazy days the best, even if her and Wrex weren’t on the _Kalros_ and were somewhere new. “So, I am slightly curious...” At the doctor’s voice Pyjak and Wrex grunted at the same time. “Is that particular action a culteral krogan thing or something you two worked out when she was little that has carried over?” Pyjak cracked an eye and looked down to where Chakwas had sat across from them both. She clasped her hands in front of her and looked between Pyjak and Wrex.

“Who cares?” Wrex grunted it out and Pyjak was inclined to agree. Who cared? It worked for them and that was all that mattered.

“You don’t have to answer but it is something that isn’t regularly seen. I mean turians carry their infants in their cowls until they get too big. It is similar to that?” Chakwas tilted her head as she seemed to study them and Pyjak took a slightly bigger bite of her ration bar.

“Don’t care what the turians do with their hatchlings.” Wrex’s lip was curled up, Pyjak didn’t have to see it to know that it was. She could only imagine how irritated he was being compared to the birds.

“Turians have live births, krogans and salarians are the only ones who hatch their young.” Chakwas tilted her head and Pyjak shifted her head, resting her chin on Wrex's forehead plate.

A heavy rumble came from Wrex that nearly had Pyjak grinning. “If I tell you, will you shut up?”

The doc looked completely unbothered as she nodded. “My curiosity would be satiated, yes.”

“Don’t know how krogan carry their hatchlings. It was just safer for her up there and keep me from stepping on her when she was smaller.” Wrex shifted his head and Pyjak lifted her chin off of it before she grinned.

“My skull would have broken your foot!” She playfully roared it at him, mimicking what she used to say as a kid.

“You would have popped like a ripe casht’ka fruit.” He gave a low chuckle to that and she cackled. “Eat.” At the word she took another bite out of her ration bar.

“And now it’s habit?” Chakwas gestured and Pyjak could tell he was getting tired of the conversation. He never did very well with people asking him incessant questions about how he was when it came to raising her.

“Now it’s because I fucking feel like it.” He growled it out and she could just imagine he was eyeing Chakwas with narrowed eyed.

“I wanted sleep, he wanted food. Easiest way for us to do both.” Pyjak said it lazily as she finished off her ration bar. Not that she was able to sleep now, the questioning had pretty much woke her up.

Chakwas tilted her head, looking slightly confused. “Are you... is that to protect her? Do you not think she is safe here?” Her voice pitched upwards just a fraction and Wrex gave another rumble.

“Are you done?” He sneered it out and Pyjak rubbed his forehead plate affectionately. She hoped the doc knew when to shut the hell up because her pops wasn’t the most patient krogan in the world.

“Chakwas, Shepard is requesting pick up, you might be needed. He said shit got a bit hot down there.” Joker’s voice came over the comm and the doctor immediately got up and rushed for the medbay.

Pyjak let out a heaving sigh. “Well I’m up.” She reluctantly slid off his hump, landing on the floor behind him.

“Yah, incessant puny humans will do that.” At his rather cranky words she sat at the table, leaning backwards against it.

“I can agree there.” She leaned over and knocked her head against his shoulder armour and he simply grunted.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Nosey people will be nosey.” That could always be counted on and she tilted her head, looking at him. “Besides you’re the coolest, who wouldn’t want to ask you incessant questions about everything you do?” She reached over and pinched his chin with a grin. He swatted at her hand, giving her a look but it didn’t have a very big impact as the corner of his mouth twitched upwards slightly.

“Wanna go see what shit they got into?” She slapped her thighs and Wrex grumbled slightly but pushed off the table and lumbered to his feet. She followed behind him, pretending to push him as she did so. She knew she wasn’t doing anything but it made her smile and even though Wrex grumbled about her being a weak little pyjak, he was amused by her antics, which was her ultimate goal.

They made their way to the cargo bay right as the mako was loading on and Pyjak watched with interest, still keeping steady pressure on Wrex’s back as she did so. The large machine looked scorched and like it had a few new dents and she raised an eyebrow. The side panel slid open and Tali, Vakarian, and an asari all came out. Pyjak’s eyebrow went up further at the sight of the familiar blue form of an Asari.

“Turing into a zoo.” Wrex grunted it out right as Shepard exited and Pyjak huffed, pushing on him harder. He turned suddenly and Pyjak lost her balance, her pushing momentum transferring forward and she damn near face planted as Wrex laughed.

“I’m going to get you.” She twisted slightly before spinning on the floor, catching the back of his knee with her foot and sending him to the floor. She rolled backwards, landing on her feet and launched at him. He laughed loudly as she wrestled him. She was cackling just as loud as he grabbed the front of her shirt before he launched her across the cargo bay with his feet. She tucked her shoulders and braced, the moment her shoulders impacted the floor she used the momentum to roll and popped up on her feet her arms raised over her head as she cheered. “Urdnot Wrex for the thirty foot pyjak toss!” She was nearly breathless from laughing as she rushed him as he tried to get back up.

She managed to wrap her arms around his legs and tipped him back over onto his back. “And he goes down!” She stood over him where he was on his back laughing and cheered for herself. “Pyjak coming in for the takedown! The old man goes down!” She knew what was coming and didn’t dodge it as he kicked her legs out from underneath her. She landed on her ass with a yelp and then grinned at him. “And it’s a tie!” She felt a bit out of breath but she didn’t care as she laughed with him.

“It’s only a tie because I let it be a tie.” He reached over and ruffled her hair before getting to his feet.

She popped up to her feet as well and ran her hand through her hair. “So you say.” She stuck her tongue out at him and he just shook his head, continuing to chuckle as he turned back to the small group who were staring at them. Pyjak grinned, “How’d it do?” She pointed at Tali and the quarian jolted before whipping out her shotgun.

“It was amazing! I have never had it fire this well!” She hurried over, looking it over and Pyjak nodded. “The reload rate was quick and there was barely any cool down time needed between shots. I was able to get nearly twice as many shots off. Plus my heat sinks lasted me way longer!” Tali sounded super excited and Pyjak gave a smug grin at that. “I can’t believe it’s the same gun. I would have been convinced you had just switched them if I hadn’t seen you actually modding it myself!” She put the shotgun away before yanking out a pistol. “Do you mind modding this? I found it on one of the krogans we fought and I figure having a backup weapon is good.” She was nearly vibrating and Pyjak nodded.

“Let’s get to it then!” She clapped the quarian on the back, nearly wincing as Tali let out a high pitched squeal of excitement.

“I won’t fall asleep this time! I promise!” She did an actual little happy dance and Pyjak grinned at her. It was nice being around someone who was so enthusiastic about mods. It was rare anyone cared beyond having them work.

“Perfect. I’ll actually let you put the mods into the gun this time.” She and Tali walked over to the lockers and Pyjak grabbed her modding case. The female shamans had gotten one thing right, Pyjak loved kicking ass but creating mods was her true passion.


	21. Of Growing Concerns and Losing Battles

John didn’t really know what it was that he had to do. Logistically he knew _exactly_ what he needed to do, get the doctor to see Chakwas, get his wound checked out, report back to the Council but Jakkie threw a wrench in all of that. His heart was in his throat as she had flown through the air and hit the ground. It didn’t matter that she had rolled seamlessly and had come to her feet without a single scratch and a wide smile on her face. None of that matter but the thought that she could have gotten hurt. She could have gotten _badly_ hurt.

“Did... did that krogan... _kick_ that human across the room?” Dr. T’Soni asked it low and Shepard just shook his head.

He just pinched his nose. “Yes... yes he did.” He heaved out a sigh before he gestured to the asari. “Come, Dr. T’Soni. We need to ensure you are good to go and I need to get this damn burn checked out.” He winced as he patted his shoulder where he had gotten clipped by the geth colossus beam. He cursed his damned inattention but the colossus had gone down.

“Shepard.” Wrex called it out and Shepard stopped and swallowed hard, trying to get the image of Jakkie flying through the air out of his head.

“Yes, Wrex?” He pressed his hands to his hips and looked at the krogan, feeling so very fucking tired. They had just had a run for their lives and the move the damned krogan did with his baby sister made him feel like he had shaved years off of his life.

“Next mission I want to come down with. Kick some ass.” Wrex nodded his head, his red eyes narrowing slightly and John felt very much like he was in a sudden standoff.

“We can see if that can be arranged.” Shepard crossed his arms over his chest, making sure his posture mirrored Wrex’s. If there was a standoff, he would let it be known he wasn’t backing down. He set his jaw, “And can you _not_ kick Jakkie across the room like that?” It came out tight and he couldn’t even help it.

“What?” Wrex made a slight face at that before he shrugged. “We were just wrestling.”

Just wrestling, he said they were _wrestling_. John knew what wrestling was and that death dance they were courting was _not_ wrestling _or_ sparring. “Well I will get some mats and you can wrestle on those but not on the bare metal, please?” He couldn’t even keep the edge out of his voice. All he could imagine was Jakkie with broken bones if they continued to ‘wrestle’ like that.

Wrex gave a snort, “You puny humans are so fucking soft. I’ll wrestle with my girl as much as I fucking want and you ain’t gunna say shit about it.” There was a nearly identical edge to Wrex’s voice and Shepard stiffened, he didn’t miss the slight possession in Wrex’s tone. He was throwing down a damned gauntlet and he knew that if he picked it up, Jakkie wasn’t ever going to be on his side for the ensuing battle. Wrex had fought the courts for her and won, John knew there was no fucking way he could ever hope to win against that.

He rubbed his forehead hard, “I’ll get some mats for you guys.” That was all he could say about it, all he could _do_ about it.

“Don’t need mats, she’s got a good bone and skin weave. Ain’t nothing she doesn’t want to do.” Wrex wasn’t letting it go and Shepard knew he was treading on dangerous territory.

“Lay off it Johnny boy.” And there was Jakkie. Shepard pinched his lips together and let out a sigh. Just _great_. “If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have let him throw me. He’s good but he’s too old to kick me across the room without me actually allowing it.” He didn’t want to argue with her, didn’t want to have to explain just why them ‘wrestling’ was causing him so much anxiety.

“I’ll show you old.” Wrex snorted slightly and Jakkie leaned back from where she was sitting at the weapons bench.

“I wish you would. You’re getting slow old man. I never should have been able to tip you.” She scoffed, “Your knees getting creaky and sore? Took your sweet ass time getting up.” She stuck her tongue out at the old krogan, her hair flopping into her face.

“You and I are gunna settle this once and for all, don’t you worry.” Wrex pounded his fists together.

“ _No_. The both of you.” Shepard pointed between them and Jakkie rolled her eyes.

“I’m not fucking breakable, Shepard. Remember that.” She scoffed hard. “Sides, pops wouldn’t hurt me. For fuck’s sake.” She crossed her arms over her chest and Shepard was fairly positive she was flexing her biceps at him to make a point.

He let out a long and slow sigh. “Jakkie, this is to ensure no one on the crew gets unduly injured, not because I think you are breakable.” Partially that. He really didn’t want her to get hurt, he honestly didn’t know what would happen if she did. She was his little sister and he had just gotten her back.

“Unduly injured is a code for breakable. I know my limits and so does pops, we don’t cross them.” Her eyes narrowed at him and Shepard knew he was in a lose lose situation at the moment. There was no way he was going to end up anywhere good with the conversation.

“I don’t want to get into it, Jakkie.” He really, _really_ didn’t. He was tired and sore and the last thing he wanted was to end up ruining all the progress he had made with her.

“Then leave it be. He didn’t raise me for eighteen years to break me by doing something he knows I can’t handle.” She shook her head slightly at that and John shook his head, knowing there was nothing he could do about it.

“Fine. Just fine.” He walked away, motioning for the nearly slack jawed asari to follow him. He didn’t know what to say but he knew he couldn’t control how her and Wrex interacted, not if he wanted to have a relationship with her. However he could keep her from getting hurt, even if it meant keeping her on the ship. He shook his head slightly, he didn’t want to but he knew that for his own sanity he couldn’t have her out in the field getting hurt.

He just couldn’t.


	22. Of Pacing and the Bubble Gum Princess

**A week later**

Pyjak sat on Wrex’s cot, her leg jogging up and down. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like it at all. Shepard had taken Wrex and Garrus down on the drop to deal with some mercs on a back water planet and she wasn’t used to not going out with her pops when it came to a job. She knew none of them had worked with him, fought with him, as much as she had. They didn’t understand his weak spots enough to know to cover them.

She flicked her thumbnail against her index finger for a few seconds before she jumped to her feet. She automatically started pacing. Back and forth, back and forth, from the cot to where the mako usually sat. She didn’t like not having jobs to go on and the ship still felt stuffy and formal. She fell asleep underneath the cot, wrestled with Wrex, much to Shepard’s disapproval and pleading for them to wait until he got sparring mats, and hung out with Joker in the cockpit but it wasn’t enough to remove just how formal and stuffy everything felt.

It was too... _military_. She understood it was basically a military vessel but she was never one for the order and regimen that the military brought, especially the Alliance. She just wasn’t comfortable with the stiff posture and even stiffer salutes. It rubbed her the wrong way and made her miss the _Kalros_. Her feeling uncomfortable had a lot to do with the fact she hadn’t been allowed out of the ship on missions. She was stuck inside, day in and day out and no amount of Joker telling her hilarious stories, modding any weapon she could get her hands on, or wrestling with her pops, changed that.

“Can you stop? You're making me dizzy.” At the slightly snarky voice of bubble gum princess, Pyjak flipped her off, continuing her tight pacing. “Seriously. You are damn near wearing a hole in the floor.”

Pyjak snapped her gaze to her to before she noticed the Gorgon rifle the woman was pulling apart. “Not like that!” She marched over, yanking the weapon from the woman’s hands. “You’ll strip the threads if you yank it apart like that.” She gently turned the barrel, taking it out of it’s housing. “The Gorgon line uses threading, not plug and play. You strip the threads and you fuck the gun up entirely. Both inner threads and outer threads will be messed up.” She looked the threads, thankful that they weren’t stripped or fucked up from the way she had been yanking on them.

“Were you trying to clean it?” She glanced at bubble gum princess and the woman crossed her arms over her chest before giving a short nod. Pyjak gave a short nod in return before she took apart the rest of the rifle. “Gorgon V is a good rifle. Bit finicky with the trigger but it's alright." She set half the pieces off to the side and gestured for bubble gum princes to join her. She let out an irritated sigh when the woman didn’t move. “I’ll clean this shit, you clean the other bits.” She shook her head slightly but after a few moments, the other woman joined her at the table, picking up a rag and grabbing the gun oil.

They were silent as they cleaned their respective parts. Pyjak didn’t mind the quiet and cleaning the gun gave her something to do other than worry incessantly that someone might not be watching her pops’ back down on the ground. “You’re related to him, aren’t you? Shepard.” At the low question from the other woman, Pyjak shrugged.

“He’s blood, yes.” She gently cleaned out the barrel before adding a bit of gun oil to her rag and oiling the inside of the barrel.

“You know about Mindoir then.” At the words she made a slight face before moving onto the next piece.

“I only know what I have been told. Don’t really care much about it to be honest.” She didn’t. She had a life and by all accounts, what had happened on that colony was fucking traumatic. She was happy her only memories were of her life with Wrex. She could only imagine how fucked up she would have been remembering all that shit that happened. She was happy she didn’t have to deal with it.

“But that is a pivotal moment in your life. With your family.” There was a slight sound of outrage to the voice and Pyjak shrugged.

“Blood, not family. Pops is my family. Clan Urdnot is my family.” She didn’t particularly care about how bubble gum princess felt about it. She was learning humans were rather intense about their bloodlines. It was weird. She knew some krogan clans were like that as well but Pyjak thought it was a bunch of bullshit. Family was family and blood was blood but it didn’t mean family had to be blood or blood had to be family.

“How can you say that?” There was definitely a bit of outrage to her voice now and Pyjak resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Because he's my family. Those people on Mindoir, I don’t know them. I've no recollection of them. My family is the dad who raised me. He’s my family, blood or not and I wouldn’t trade him for the world.” She carefully threaded her pieces together before pointing at a piece in front of bubble gum princess. “Done with that?”

She handed it over with a small nod. “But you’re Shepard’s only family.”

Pyjak put the pieces in the right spot. “He’s trying to have a relationship with me but I could take it or leave it. I don’t have much invested in it.” She truly didn’t. Sure that might have made her sound callous or like a bitch but she didn’t care. Especially if he was keeping her grounded like he was, not to mention the constant disapproval of her and Wrex wrestling to get out her excess energy.

“So you're saying that if it came down to it, you would pick a krogan over him?” There what that slight tone that made Pyjak’s forehead twitch with the desire to reacquaint itself with he woman’s nose but she slowly turned and rested her hip against the table, looking at the woman.

“Honey, I would sell out Alliance state secrets and give nuclear launch codes to hostile species for my pops. It’s no question who I would pick.” She shook her head slightly. “If it came down to it, if Shepard were pinned down and my pops was pinned down. I would pick my pops over hin, 100% of the time. The same goes for you. I'll _always_ pick my pops.” And she would and she had. Not a lot but there were times when she had definitely had to make the tough choice and not once had she ever regretted her decisions.

The bubble gum princess looked so utterly confused that Pyjak wanted to chortle. “But he’s an _alien_.” She held out a hand, confusion etching her features.

“He’s my pops.” Pyjak shrugged and turned back to the Gorgon rifle. Shepard would have been proud. She didn’t automatically headbutt. She wanted to scoff at that before she smirked, “And besides, I am so far out there, humans are practically alien to me.” It was true, their cultures, their traditions were so far and beyond what Pyjak understood they were practically alien. She was a krogan merc, through and through. “Granted if it was between you and a turian. Now then, you might actually have a fighting chance.” She pointed slightly with a piece of the gun.

A rather thick silence fell and Pyjak was aware that the other woman had gone back to cleaning the pieces. “You don’t like turians?” The question was asked quietly and Pyjak snorted.

“With the fucking genophage bullshit? _Fuck_ no.” She didn’t based on principle. The Hierarchy could lick her left ass cheek and fuck off to Omega for all she cared. However, personally if she could get one into her bed? Well then she was okay to let bygones be bygones for a few hours. She silently pointed at a piece and the other woman handed it over. “Why don’t you like them?”

The woman sputtered slightly, her face going slightly red, “How do you-”

Pyjak lifted a hand cutting her her off as she gave her a look. “Don’t even ask that. I know. I can practically _taste_ it around you.” The woman _radiated_ xenophobic energy. It wasn’t hard to see.

She was silent as she cleaned and oiled a piece of the rifle before she let out a sigh. “My grandfather was at Shanxi during the First Contact War.” It burst out of her and Pyjak’s eyebrow raised before she shrugged.

“Cool.” She didn’t exactly know much about history outside of krogans.

“Do you not... Do you not know?” Bubble gum princess sounded like she was in utter disbelief and Pyjak shrugged again.

“Why would I? I can tell you all about the rachni wars, the krogan rebellions, and the genophage but nothing much outside of that. Gotta remember a lot of my history lessons were krogan based.” She learned what Wrex taught her and he taught her what he knew and a lot of that shit was just krogan culture and history. “Well pretty much _all_ of it was krogan based.” She didn’t mind it. She liked learning about her mother planet.

“Oh...” The other woman fell silent before she handed Pyjak another piece of the rifle. “Shanxi was the only human colony to surrender to the turians. My grandfather was the one who called the surrender.” That was surprising and Pyjak actually paused in what she was doing.

“Oh, why?” She watched as the woman twisted the oil rage in her hands tightly.

“They were doing aerial strikes on the colony and they were edging closer to the non-combatants and refused to listen to my grandfather telling them they were civilians in the areas they were bombarding. He surrendered to get them to stop.” At the tightly said words Pyjak blinked slightly before she shook her head and snorted.

“Fucking figures that the birds would pull that shit. Good for your grandfather.” It figured that the turians would go after non-combatants to put an enemy down. It went with their track record. Even a krogan wouldn’t be that craven. Non-combatants were off limits.

“He _surrendered_.” There was a look of desperation to her and Pyjak shrugged again.

“Yah, to protect females, children, and elderly. Good for him.” She meant that. Any krogan would agree. You protected the females and the children, even if it meant laying down your weapons and giving up. At least for that particular moment.

“You don’t understand, he was resoundingly hated and we were blacklisted as a military family. Gunnery Chief is probably where I top out in the Alliance. It’s a stain on our family record. The Williams curse.” At the words Pyjak couldn’t help how her face twisted up with confusion and disbelief.

“For _not_ letting the birds massacre females, children, and the elderly? What the fuck is wrong with the Alliance?” She meant that, every fucking single word. What the fuck was that? Blacklisting a family simply because their patriarch did the _right_ thing.

“No you don’t under-”

Pyjak lifted her hand in question, “So you think he should have let the turians massacre defenceless non-combatants?”

“No!” The word exploded out of the woman and Pyjak frowned in confusion.

“Then explain it to me.” She didn’t understand what the woman was trying to say. Surrendering was a good thing sometimes. The krogans didn’t surrender during the rebellions and look at the massacre that happened to them. That was _still_ happening to them.

Bubble gum princess sputtered slightly, “Aren’t krogans all about not surrendering? Why would you say good job when you guys don’t surrender ever?” She held out her hands and Pyjak blinked slowly.

“Krogans can and will surrender but it's only when our females and children are threatened. We will lay down our lives to protect them but if they are directly threatened we will lay down our arms and surrender.” They would, she had heard many tales of just that. “Granted we will immediately stab the person in the back as soon as the females and children are safe but still.” And that as well. The minute the danger had passed, the person who surrendered would do their best to rectify the situation, violently was the most usual way. “The only time we didn’t surrender, the turians and the salarians attacked the females and the children.” They had done so in the most morally reprehensible way possible.

Bubble gum princess frowned slightly, her mouth opening and then closing before she finally frowned. “I didn’t hear about that.”

Pyjak shook her head. “The genophage. It made our women infertile and it kills the unborn. It's an ongoing massacre that we can’t stop. Not a lot of krogan scientists around to help fix it.” Wasn’t that the truth. Her pops was right. They needed to stop and focus on breeding for several generations to build up their population. “We understand the damage not surrendering can do and what it is still doing to the krogan to this day.” It was a hard lesson to learn and krogans could be stubborn but they _could_ learn.

“You grandfather did the right thing. He protected the non-combatants from the turians bombing them. I doubt they would have questioned order to blow the colony up. They're a bit rigid like that. No such thing as a bad order.” Pyjak huffed out a breath at that. She couldn’t imagine ever simply obeying an order that could cause that much hardship and damage but then again she wasn’t fucking turian. She was krogan and they were _born_ contrary. “But it stands, any krogan worth the earth he was born on will tell you that there's still honour in surrendering to protect those your are sworn to protect. So fuck the Alliance for blacklisting your family because your grandfather did the right thing.” She sniffed slightly before turning back to the rile.

They cleaned in silence for a few minutes before bubble gum princess let out a small sigh, “That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about the situation. I never actually thought about it like that before.” There was a slight edge of gratitude to her voice that Pyjak waved away.

“That’s because you needed a bit more of a krogan view point. It happens on occasion.” It always amused her just how surprised people where when they realized just how helpful a krogan point of view could be. “So what did you do to piss off Shepard?” She glanced at the woman as she took the last part and finished putting together the Gorgon.

“ _What_?” She snapped it out, her face slightly red.

“He isn’t taking you out either.” Pyjak set the rifle down before turning, resting her hip against the table as she crossed her arms over her chest, watching the other woman.

The blush grew more red and the woman pinched her lips together. “He-he grounded me for two weeks because of my...” She gave a small cough and glanced at Pyjak before looking away.

“Your rampant xenophobia that got your nose busted? Yah. It will do that.” She grinned and he woman actually had the grace to look slightly ashamed.

“I’ve just... I’ve lived on Alliance colonies my entire life, you know. Never been outside of them aside from, you know, now ” She glanced back at Pyjak and her mouth dropped open in horror.

“Oh you _poor_ thing. You haven’t even managed to bang an asari?” She couldn’t believe it. This poor women had to deal with just fucking humans. The poor _poor_ thing! No _wonder_ she was all wound up all the time.

“ _What_?” There was a slight look of disbelief to the woman’s face that had Pyjak tsking.

“You haven’t had a chance to experience the bountiful wonders of a galaxy full of alien D.” She couldn’t believe how wound up humans were. They were always so judgmental about it. There was an entire galaxy full of alien dick or poontang that one could enjoy and humans just had to be squeamish about it.

“You mean _xenophilia_?” The woman hissed the word out and Pyjak blinked.

“Don’t say it like that. Some of those aliens have perfected how to make you feel great.” And they had. There was nothing wrong with choosing a partner that wasn’t of your race. It was a big galaxy and who were people to judge who ended up in another person’s bed?

The woman sputtered, her eyes wide. “I don’t-I can’t-”

Pyjak’s grin grew wider, “Even turians. I can and will snap a fringe off but if you can get them into bed? Holy fucking shit.” She shook her head, watching bubble gum princess's face rapidly turn various colours. “If you ever find yourself on Omega, look for Gavorn and tell him Pyjak sent you. He will take you front, back, sideways, upside down, and make it so walking will be the last thing you're capable of doing for about a week. That turian would fuck you through a fucking _wall_ .” She shook her head slightly before winking at the other woman. “You name drop me when you meet him and he'll give you the _platinum_ treatment.” The woman gave a rather inelegant squawk and Pyjak turned and grabbed the rifle, handing it to her.

“You aren’t an Alliance colony brat anymore, sugar tits, and what happens out here, stays out here. Even if it’s fucking a turian so hard you break his plates.” She gave her a wicked grin and winked again. “I know I have.” The woman’s face was bright red and she could only sputter, making strange sounds as Pyjak turned and walked away, feeling a bit better about everything.

Now if only Shepard would take her out on a mission. Then she would be feeling a 100% once more.


	23. Of Bland Rations and Gun Shows

Garrus wasn’t exactly sure what to think of the tattooed woman. He had yet to be properly introduced to her and a large portion of that had been due to him simply… keeping a large swath of space between him and her. She unsettled him slightly. He wasn’t ever unsettled by humans, he worked too long in C-Sec to be unsettled, but she, specifically, unsettled him. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that caused it but he had an inkling of what it might have been. She was loud, cursed loudly and often, she fought regularly with the krogan, Wrex, laughing the entire time, she was strong and wasn’t afraid to show it, and she loved tinkering with weapons and modding weapons and he often spotted her doing just that. None of those things unsettled him, he was pretty sure it was her intensity.

He had never met a human who was that intense. She did everything with that aura of feral intensity that caused him to still slightly when he watched her do whatever it was that caught her interest. Like a primordial part of his being recognized the feral intensity and stilled to watch. That and she had taken to smirking in his direction whenever she spotted him. Like she found something intensely amusing. It was strange because he couldn’t figure out what the hell she was smirking at other than just him.

He knew enough about humans to get by in C-Sec but he was learning he knew next to nothing about krogans and she did not act like a normal human. If she had been a normal human, he would have been able to figure it out, humans were awfully predictable at times, but she was so far and beyond what he knew it wasn’t even funny. He did have to agree with the doctor, she _was_ a secondary krogan, human or not. So it left him feeling unsettled. He figured that must have been the reason. She was unpredictable, he couldn’t understand her, and she found something about him endlessly amusing to the point she kept smirking at him. He figured it was enough to unsettle even the most seasoned turian.

And then her family dynamic was enough to unsettle anyone. As it was, cross species adoptions were rare and to learn that a _krogan_ had adopted a little human girl was virtually unheard of. In fact if his searches of the C-Sec databases were correct, Wrex and her were the _only_ known krogan adoption on the records. Normally an officer wouldn’t have used the C-Sec records like that but he figured that he had always been a particularly rebellious turian and that his search was justified given the fact that he would be working in close proximity to the two of them.

It was how he learned her name was Pyjak. _That_ he absolutely did not understand. Pyjaks were small, hairy creatures humans said reminded them of primates from Earth and there were considered galactically as pests. To see that was her legal _name_? Well that concept was something Garrus believed to be was far beyond him. It was almost derogatory but from the way that she acted when called it, he figured she absolutely did not care. Although he did notice Tali and the commander called her Jakkie.

And to that matter, with the Commander especially, he was related to her. Garrus wasn’t entirely sure if the faint talk about them being siblings was true or if it was just talk between the crew but he could scent a familial bond. It was faint, as if their completely contrasting lives had tried hard to wipe it away, but it was still there. He just wasn’t sure how close that bond was and he didn’t think it was his place to ask.

From looking at them, they were nearly complete opposites. Shepard had a dark fringe and a stiff military bearing that carried over to when he was even relaxing. He always looked half a second from standing at attention and snapping out a salute. Pyjak, on the other hand, had that flaming red fringe, the tattoos, and was completely loose and relaxed but in such a way that let Garrus know she would be ready to attack without a second’s notice.

Even their personalities were completely different, Pyjak’s humor seemed to match the pilot, Joker’s, in its deviance and she always seemed ready to laugh and tell a joke or break out into a story of her running a job with other mercs. Shepard was more reserved and inclined to listen and observe rather than interject with his own stories. He felt more familiar, more traditional, and less likely to do something spontaneous that would end up with someone thrown in jail. The only thing they seemed to share was their eye colour.

Garrus shifted on his spot on the bench where he was eating his rations. If he had to be completely honest. He saw more similarities between Wrex and Pyjak than her and Shepard. She stood like Wrex, shared his posture, sat like him, held her guns like him, crossed her arms like him. Even her personality was like a carbon copy of his with a bit more laughter than the seemingly permanently grumpy krogan seemed to have. It was utterly strange to look between the two of them and be able to clearly tell that they had a very close, family unit type relationship and that she acted like the krogan.

Garrus knew that if she had been an asari it wouldn’t have looked nearly as strange. At least there was some krogan contribution to an asari child if they wanted to be the father. Pyjak was human so it just highlighted the strangeness that the entire situation had. You just didn’t really expect it to see the entire sameness between a human and a krogan that you would see between a parent and a child.

He took another bite of his rations and Tali sat down beside him with a huff. “Are they any good or is it slop still?” At the low question Garrus’s mandibles flicked out in amusement.

“Slop.” The rations weren’t great, they were passable and would keep a person alive but they weren’t exactly the greatest tasting. He knew he had gotten a little spoiled while working with C-Sec but he had gone through his mandatory five years in the military so while the rations were bland and kind of off-putting, he knew he would once again get used to them.

“ _Great_. I wonder if I can wait until we reach a port that has something edible.” The quarian muttered it out and Garrus couldn’t help but chuckle. He felt a little less lonely knowing there was another dexro-based person on board. Even if she had to pass her rations through several purifiers and decontamination chambers before she could actually eat it. It was nice to know that someone else similar to him was on board.

“You could try but I think you would cave rather quick.” He knew he would. Then again he didn’t let something like bland and rather unappetizing food get in the way of him being hungry. He would eat it because sometimes that is what one had to do, even if to just get rid of the stomach pains from hunger.

“You are probably right but I am still tempted to pick up some better rations than whatever _that_ is.” She pointed at the pouch and Garrus chuckled again, unable to help himself with how disgusted she sounded. However he did take another bite, knowing that eating it was better than the hunger pains he would get later.

“If you asked Commander Shepard to get you some I am sure he would get some more rations.” He seemed like the type of commander that would do his best to make sure people were more comfortable on the ship. Not that Garrus himself would ever ask.

Tali let out a heavy sigh, “Why don’t _you_?”

“Because I can stand to eat this and I won’t complain. He’s allowing me to come along. I don’t want to wear out my welcome.” The last thing he wanted was to be dropped off at the Citadel before they finished their mission as it was they were heading to Feros and if Garrus got his way, he wanted to be on the ground again. He liked running missions with Shepard. They worked well together.

“Fair point.” Tali nodded slightly and Garrus continued to pick at his rations. Not really liking the food or wanting to eat it but knowing it was better if he did.

“I don’t know why you stick with the Kovalyov VII. Their IX model is much better and less finicky.” Shepard’s voice was incredulous and Garrus looked up at he and Pyjak came around the corner, her case in one hand and her rifle held in her other. Shepard also held a rifle in his arms as they came into the mess.

She rolled her eyes heavily at him, “Says the person who can’t mod.”

Shepard held out his hand as if trying to show her his point, “I’m just saying that there is a lag-“

“Between the trigger being pulled and the firing pin hitting the heat sink. I _know_.” She gave a snort of derision. “I also fixed that shit when I was sixteen. It was one of the first things I caught two seconds into firing it for the first time.” They both made it to the same table he and Tali were at and sat down at the end. “A _baby_ could understand that the lag was there, Johnny Boy. Kovalyov was _lazy_ with that firing mechanism. It was honestly inexcusable for such a high end rifle.” Garrus had to agree. He had used the weapon at the C-Sec firing range and she was right. It had been a rather nasty flaw that had caused serious jamming issues with the heat sink. There had been a reason that C-Sec traded them for Vindicator rifles. At least they were reliable.

“Yet you still use it.” Shepard pointed it out as he set his own rifle on the able and Pyjak lifted her case onto the table and set her rifle down. To be honest, Garrus didn’t think the rifle looked anything like a Kovalyov rifle at all. The damn thing had patchy red paint and it’s body was patched with black and gun metal grey.

“Hey Tali.” Pyjak patted Tali’s shoulder in greeting before she rounded on Shepard again. “Yes because the IX model has _nothing_ compared to my VII that I modded myself. Tell me to switch when they come out with their XVI model and I will do so but until then, leave my baby alone.” She patted the rifle and Garrus’ hands twitched to pick it up. It was a sincerely unique looking rifle and he wanted to play around with it. He saw Tali’s hands twitch slightly on the table so he was thankful he wasn’t the only one.

“Why the XVI model? You could upgrade to the XV model and have no issues.” Shepard started pulling apart his rifle as he glanced at the woman.

“Because based on their rate of increasing percentages, that is the only model that will compare to what my VII gives me now. Once they can match what my VII can give me, I will switch, but not before.” She scoffed before lifting the rifle into her hands and turning to Tali. “You haven’t seen this one. This is my baby, the Kovalyov VII I got when I was sixteen. I’ve modded the hell out of her and I don’t take her out often but she deserved to be cleaned out and checked at least every week.” Tali oohed over the gun and Garrus watched as Shepard rolled his eyes slightly before faintly smiling as he looked at Pyjak.

“What mods do you have on it?” Tali leaned closer and Garrus watched as Pyjak handed it over and the quarian nearly dropped the rifle, her arms falling down with the weight of it. “ _Keelah_! This thing weighs like twenty pounds!”

“Nineteen point three four pounds to be precise. That is why I got these babies” She flexed her arms, turning to show off the muscling in her biceps and arms before she glanced at him and _winked_. Garrus felt his mandibles twitch before he pulled them close to his face. Just what the fuck was _that_ supposed to mean. He turned back to his rations, hastily shovelling the rest into his mouth, feeling the hide of his neck heat up.

“Whoa! I didn’t know you were handing out free tickets to the gun show, Pyjak. You should have called me and I would have rubbed you down with some baby oil.” At Joker’s amused voice Pyjak laughed and when Garrus got up to toss out his empty ration pack she was busy flexing for the breakable pilot while he mimicked taking pictures.

“Joker, I could break you with a look. You wouldn’t be able to handle all of me.” She chuckled it out and Garrus couldn’t help but glance at her. She was looking at him again that smirk on her mouth before she once again winked at him. He felt his neck hide grow warmer and he moved across the space and tossed out his ration pack before he quickly made his escape.

She was unsettling, she really was.

He didn’t know what she meant by what she was doing but he was utterly and completely unsettled. Although at the moment he wasn’t sure if her unpredictability and strange gestures were what unsettled him or how his gut clenched as he watched the play of her muscles underneath her delicate skin. Hardness wrapped in soft skin. Turians always appreciated sharp lines and built bodies and at the moment, Garrus honestly didn’t like that fact at all because that small gut clench had only ever happened for turian females for him.

It left him staring at the elevator floor feeling decidedly unsettled and he was determined to pack all of it into a little box and never, _ever_ look at it again.


	24. Of Boredom and Fixing Makos

**One** **week later**

Pyjak was bored. It didn’t happen often but she was. She had modded pretty much all the weapons she could get her hands on and now she was left with nothing to do. Absolutely nothing and she was getting a tad agitated about it. So she stared across the cargo hold to where the mako sat and more importantly, where the object of her fascination was currently working on it. Garrus was definitely a fine specimen of a male, turian or not. She liked how he moved, how precise he was, and that voice of his. Dear Kalros, his voice was like pure dark chocolate.

She had taken to watching him, she had yet to actually talk to him but she had been around enough to get a good understanding that the poor little turian was kind of a bad turian. Not wanting to follow orders or listen to bad ones. She liked that in a bird. A little bit of a rebel streak. Made them a little less predictable and that just made her engines _purr_.

“Don’t tell me you like the bird.” Wrex’s voice was low and she smirked.

“I’m human, my pops’ a krogan, why can’t I fuck a bird?” She tilted her head and flicked her thumbnail against her index finger. “Again.” Her mouth twitched upwards at that. Gavorn was rough around the edges but he certainly knew how to please a lady.

“I raised you to have better taste than that.” He grunted and Pyjak snickered.

“You raised me to like roadkill. What did you expect would happen?” She tilted her head as she watched him check out the tires of the mako. The poor thing was getting a serious work out with Shepard driving. Not that she really cared. He was starting to piss her off because she was positive he was job blocking her. She hadn’t been off the ship in two weeks and it was starting to agitate her.

“I’d expect you to go for someone a bit more virile. He doesn’t even have a _quad_ , Pyjak.” Wrex shook his head and Pyjak grinned at him.

“You would kill the first krogan I brought home and you know it.” Wrex grumbled underneath his breath at the words and she cupped her ear. “Hmmm pops, what was that?” She leaned towards him, pretending to try and hear him better.

“I said no krogan is good enough for my little girl.” He glanced at her and she damned near melted.

She walked over to him and flopped against him, wrapping her arms around his thick neck. “That’s why you are the best dad in the whole galaxy.” He was. She knew there could have been no better turn out than the one she had.

“Put it-”

“Put it on a t-shirt if I'm so proud, I know. One of these days I'll get you a t-shirt that says ‘Galaxy’s best dad’ and I'll cry if you don’t wear it so you'll be forced to wear it.” And he would. He would put it on the moment she stuck her bottom lip out in a pout and quivered it.

“Don’t you weaponize your tears against me, Pyjak. I’d break you for that.” He grumbled it out, setting his jaw as he frowned at her.

“Nahhhhh.” She kissed his cheek with a big mwah. “You love me too much. I’m gunna go help with the mako.” She let him go and skipped towards the turian and the large drop vehicle. She watched the sinfully attractive turian named Garrus Vakarian for a second before she moved closer. “Need help.” She grinned at how he startled and nearly dropped the tool he was holding.

“Umm I’m fine. I’m good.” He sputtered it out and she tilted her head at him.

“Vakarian, is it?” She said it and he just nodded and she gave a nod of acknowledgement. “Shepard isn’t allowing me on missions, I've modded the hell out of the weapons people will let me touch, they won’t let me touch the drive core, so I’m bored.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “So, either you give me your guns to mod the shit out of or you let me help you kick tires on the mako.”

He stared at her, his mandibles twitching slightly. “I’m sorry?” He tilted his head at her with a bit of confusion.

“Name's Pyjak.” She gave a short nod at that and he blinked.

“Pyjak... like the...” His voice trailed off and he tilted his head the other way slightly.

“The monkey like creature, yes.” She swallowed back a smile at the confused look on his face. “Believe it or not. I picked it myself.” She pressed her lips together as he slowly nodded, giving a small ah at her. “Granted I was like four at the time.” She bit her bottom lip to keep from grinning at him.

“Is that... is that normal with humans?” He glanced between her and Ashley and then literally everywhere else and Pyjak valiantly fought back the grin that was still trying to escape.

“I have no clue. My dad's a krogan.” At the words his eyes went wide and his mandibles twitched before he gave her a slow nod. She held out a hand. “You can call me Jakkie if you want.” He looked between her face and her hand before tentatively reaching out. She gave his hand a firm shake. “Now can we work on the mako? I'm seriously going stir crazy.”

“Pyjak.” At the warning in Wrex’s voice she rolled her eyes.

“I just want to do something!” She did, she needed to do something before she went full blown insane. She had never been stuck like she was and she either had a task to keep herself busy or she would end up blowing something up.

“Leave the bird alone.” That edge was growing and she grit her teeth slightly.

“I want to do something.” It came out clipped but she couldn’t help it. Attractive turian helping or not, she needed to do something and working on the mako was doing something.

“Is this because I refused to get you a varren puppy after your Rite?” At the slightly amused tone she scoffed, rolling her yes a she turned and crossed her arms.

“Yes, pops, my quest to end my endless boredom is because you did not fulfill my childish dreams of getting a varren puppy after I completed my Rite and joined clan Urdnot.” The sarcasm was burning as it came out but she couldn’t help it.

“Very funny.” He was trying to be serious but she could see his mouth twitching slightly.

She dropped her arms to her sides and resisted the urge to stomp her foot like a child. “I"ll seriously start chewing on table legs like a varren if I'm not allowed to do something.” She was slowly going insane, even bubble gum princess had been allowed to go out. Granted they were on civil ground now and she actually didn’t seem to mind being around Pyjak and Pyjak did learn her name was Ashley, but still. “Either you convince Shepard to take me out for my walkies or I help with the mako.”

“Walkies?” At the confused trill that followed the question, Pyjak glanced at Garrus.

“Play on word with the varren situation.” She turned her attention back to Wrex and he heaved out a heavy sigh.

“I’ll bring it up to him that yer bitching to be allowed out. Just don’t piss on the floor when I turn my back.” He shook his head slightly and she nearly slumped with relief. "Now _behave_.” He pointed at her as he moved towards the lift and she grinned. If he could get Shepard to let her out she would be forever grateful.

“Might I ask what that was about?” At the slowly said question she shrugged before turning to grin at the turian.

“Oh he's positive the minute he turns his back on me that I’ll drag you into the mako and have my wicked _wicked_ way with you.” He let out a rather undignified squawk a that and Pyjak grinned wider before she reached out and punched his shoulder. “I’m _kidding_. Now I saw a flashlight head stuck somewhere underneath here. Let’s get that shit out.” She quickly dropped to the floor and scooted underneath the mako.

“You’re rather intense.” At the slightly muffled words Pyjak shrugged, scanning the crevices of the underside of the mako before she spotted the jammed Beth head.

“So I've been told.” She shuffled around until she could reach it with her feet and gave it several heavy kicks and sent it skittering across the cargo bay once it got unstuck. “Got it!” She pulled herself out to peek out from underneath the mako. “Got any tools? It might have crimped a brake line.” She grinned up at the turian and he frowned slightly, crouching down.

“Crimped?” At the question she nodded and Garrus got down, shoving himself underneath the mako with her. She shuffled around and then pointed to the nearly pinched off line. “Well fuck. Do you mind grabbing some tools from the big black box at the far end of the cargo bay? You move a bit better under here than I do.” He looked at her and Pyjak smiled at him, feeling her stomach flip slightly as he looked at her. He was very close and he smelled like metal and gun oil, it made her shiver.

“Your wish is my command.” She winked at him and pulled herself out from underneath the mako, heading for the tool box. Her stomach actually felt like there were butterflies inside of it as she grabbed a variety of tools. Wrex could grumble all he wanted but Pyjak needed something to do to reduce her boredom and hell, if Garrus was willing, she might as well do him.


	25. Of Arguments and Finally Breaking

John looked over the various data pads he had spread out across the table. He needed to figure out a game plan. He knew they would need to hit Feros but Hackett had also given him a few other missions and he was trying to plot out the best possible course so he could hit all of them as best as he could. He felt a little run ragged. He hadn’t expected the Alliance to keep asking him to run missions along side of his duties as a spectre.

He let out a low sigh and shook the thoughts away. There was little he could do to stop it or to say no. He knew he had a responsibly to humanity, especially as the first human Spectre, but a part of him just wanted a chance to stop and breathe. He was being pulled in far too many directions and he had a responsibility to all of them. It was something the Council and Hackett had let him know in clear terms. He was a spectre but that didn’t mean he wasn’t Alliance anymore. Hackett had explained that he was most certainly still a Commander in the Alliance and his loyalties still needed to be towards humanity.

He let out another heavy sigh and rubbed at his forehead as he looked through the mission parameters of some of the smaller jobs Hackett wanted him to do. He had already done numerous missions but it seemed like the more he did, the more Hackett threw at him. He was getting a headache thinking about everything and trying to figure out the best way to make sure everyone was happy in the end. He felt it was honestly an impossible task.

“Shepard.” At Wrex’s growling and curt voice John took a heavy drink of coffee.

“Yes, Wrex?” He set down the Dantius’ mission data pad and picked up Admiral Kahoku’s mission data pad with a grimace. He really did want to help the man out but the mission was out of his way. He figured they would have to do a run just randomly moving through the galaxies to tie up any loose missions there were.

“Pyjak wants to go out.” At the words Shepard stiffened.

“I don’t have anything at the moment.” The words came out clipped but he couldn’t help it. He honestly didn’t want to take her out. It was one thing to hear about the dangerous situations she had been put into and another to actually put her into them. She was his little sister, he wasn’t going to put her in danger. What Wrex wanted to do with her was beyond his control but he _would_ control what she did while under his command.

“Shepard, I don’t appreciate being lied to.” There was a heavy edge of warning to Wrex’s voice that made Shepard’s head want to throb. He didn’t want to get into this discussion with the krogan. He _really_ didn’t.

“Not lying. There is nothing I have that I think she could be taken on.” That was the truth. There was no mission he felt comfortable taking Pyjak out on. That wasn’t going to change no mater what mission was handed to him from Hackett or the Council or whoever he spotted on the Citadel that needed help.

“For someone who's wanting to get close to her, you're doing a piss poor job of it.” At the rather snarky reply John turned his head and glowered at the krogan.

“We are doing _fine_.” They were, they talked a lot, she helped him mod his guns, and they spent time together. As much as his time on missions allowed but they were working through it.

“You’re treating her like she’s a burden.” The words were said with heavy accusation and Shepard narrowed his eyes further. He really didn’t want to get into that conversation with Wrex at the moment. However there had been a part of him that had been expecting it. A tiny part but a part none-the-less.

“I am not.” He turned back to the table and grabbed his coffee cup, draining it as he let the slight frustration rise up. It wasn’t any of Wrex’s business who he took out on missions. The krogan damn near threw her into hundreds of dangerous situations but he didn’t get to judge him for not doing the same.

“You aren’t letting her pull her weight.” There was a scoff from the krogan and John gritted his teeth slightly.

“I _am_.” He had given her some jobs and let her mod all the weapons she wanted to. He was letting her pull her weight, he just wasn’t letting her throw herself into a dangerous situation where she could be killed. He thought he lost her once, he wasn’t about to allow it to happen again.

“How? All she does is mod weapons and bother your pilot. Now she is working on the mako with that turian of yours. Which is something I don’t exactly approve of.” The krogan muttered the last portion with a bit of a sneer before he scoffed. “She’s getting _bored_.” There was a heavy emphasis on the word that had Shepard giving his own scoff.

“So?” Boredom was easy to deal with, Shepard knew he could always throw some more weapons at her to mod. He could _easily_ deal with her boredom _without_ sending her rushing headlong into danger,

“A bored Pyjak is a _destructive_ one.” There was a heavy warning to Wrex’s voice that had Shepard bristling slightly. “Do you honestly think she'll feel warm and fuzzy towards you when she learns you're withholding missions from her because you keep seeing her as a four year old little girl?” And that was enough to have Shepard throwing the krogan a dark look.

“You might see fit to put her in dangerous situations, but I do not.” And he wouldn’t. Jakkie was his little sister, he wasn’t about to allow her to be in a situation where she could get seriously injured or _die_. He lost her once, he wasn’t going to again.

“And that's why you'll never be close to her like you want to be.” The words were said low and with a nearly growled tone.

Shepard whirled around on the bench, pointing a finger as Wrex, “You don’t get to say that!”

“I do!” Wrex thumped his chest with a closed fist. “I’m her pops, her _dad_. I've taken care of her for nearly two decades, there's no one in this universe who knows her better than me. You'll drive her away from you if you continue to try and protect yourself from her life.” He pointed at Shepard with sharp finger and Shepard got to his feet.

“I’m not-”

“Oh please. You’re scared, Shepard. Anyone can smell it on you if they weren’t so nose blind.” Wrex crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at him, his red eyes judgmental. “She’s capable and able to run missions on her own. I made sure she was. I made sure she could take care of herself out there and I did a _damn_ fine job of it.”

Shepard shook his head, pointing at the krogan, “Listen-”

“No _you_ listen. You want to be close to her. Take her out on a job. Let her show you what she knows and stop being so damn scared of what _might_ happen.” There was a low snarl to Wrex’s voice and Shepard’s chest squeezed.

“What _might_ happen is I lose her.” The words burst form him before he could stop them. “I might lose her again and I can’t let that happen. I just _can’t_.” He couldn’t. He could barely stand the thought of it, let alone having it _actually_ happen.

Wrex shook his head slowly, “I haven’t lost her yet, Shepard, and I've been with her far longer than you have.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Give her a damn mission before she starts tearing the mako apart or the fucking drive core.”

Shepard couldn’t think about it, having her out on a mission where she could get hurt, “I think its bes-”

“You want to be close to her? Stop trying to change her, Shepard. She is who she is, who I raised her to be. Trying to delude yourself that she isn’t, won’t work well in your favour.” The krogan said it low. “You test this boundary, you push against it and you'll lose her. She’s more capable than you think.” The words hurt, Shepard felt them strike straight through to his chest.

“ _Fine_. Okay? Fine. I’ll take her out on a run. Just... just stop reminding me that I have to fight for something that I shouldn’t have to fight for.” He would give in, as long as he wasn’t once again reminded that his baby sister wasn’t exactly his anymore. She was someone else, a stranger who didn’t remind him of home, of Mindoir. A stranger who looked at him like she didn't share his blood or his ties to Mindoir.

“If you've gotta fight for it, it was never yours to begin with. Let her be herself and if it’s meant to happen, it will. Just stop trying to change her.” The words were said low but they still fucking hurt.

“Fine. Just _fine_.” Shepard would take her out on a mission, a small one. There wasn’t much he could do otherwise. He wanted a relationship with Jakkie and while he knew he should be thankful for Wrex even telling him it, he couldn’t bring himself to feel it. He slumped back onto the bench, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. “Fine.” He slowly shook his head, feeling the massive headache threaten to crush his skull.

He didn’t exactly have a choice, not now.


	26. Of Shitty Driving and Grudging Compliments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I drew Pyjak and Wrex! I'm quite proud of it if I do say so myself, her hair came out a lot brighter on Imgur than on my computer and I have no idea why, their contrast might be funky.
> 
> https://i.imgur.com/7nyTszq.png

Pyjak sat in the mako, clutching her rifle in her hands, barely containing her grin. Shortly after Wrex had returned to the cargo hold, Shepard had come down to let her know they were going to go on a quick run for a person on the Citadel being blackmailed by some pirates that held their sister hostage and to armour up. Pyajk hadn’t asked questions, just yanked out her black and cobalt armour and suited up. She didn’t want to risk having good ol’ Johnny Boy changing his mind.

Her leg jogged up and down and down, a visible showing of her excitement and she glanced at Wrex. He grimaced, “I wouldn’t look too excited. You haven’t experienced Shepard’s driving.” His words contained a heavy warning and Pyjak’s grin grew wider, unable to be contained.

“So it’s gunna be fun then?” She could handle being rolled or tossed around in her seat. She practically _thrived_ on adrenaline

“I don’t drive _that_ bad, Wrex.” Shepard sounded almost petulant and Pyjak shook her head. Bad driver or not, she didn’t care. She was just excited she got to go out. There was a reasons he was taking her Kovalyov out. She and her baby deserved the treat, plus she really wanted to cryo some pirates.

“Dropping in thirty seconds.” Joker’s voice came out from the mako’s systems and Shepard glanced over his shoulder at her.

“Helmets on.” The words were said tightly and she made a face.

Wrex nudged her, catching her attention, “You are gunna _wanna_ wear it, Pyjak.” At the words and his look she made noise of disgust but shoved her helmet on anyway.

“I’m not _that_ bad of a driver, Wrex.” Shepard’s voice came through her helmet comm and she rolled her eyes, holding onto her rifle with tight hands. There was nothing that would dampen her mood, even if she had to wear a helmet.

“Dropping in ten. Also try to leave some for Shepard to take out, Pyjak. _He_ is the one getting the benefits after all.” Joker’s voice came through her helmet comm and she grinned before reaching up and pressing her comm button.

“Shooting mercs and watching them ice up is all the benefit I need, Joker.” There really wasn’t anything else Pyjak needed. She just needed to get out and blow off some of the steam that had been building inside of her. Wrex had never been a patient krogan and he taught her the same. She had never taken well to being contained or waiting for things to happen. She was a do-er, just like her pops.

“And _that_ is why you scare me slightly.” Joker sounded amused and Pyjak chuckled.

“Only slightly?” She said the words teasingly and she could hear Joker’s amusement on the other end.

“The _tiniest_ bit. Make sure Commander Shepard comes back in one piece, Pyjak. We need him to save the galaxy again.” At that she couldn’t help but laugh as she glanced at where Shepard was sitting in the driver’s seat.

“I _can_ hear you, Joker.” There was a touch of exasperation to his voice that made Pyjak actually laugh inside of her helmet and she was aware that Wrex was laughing as well.

“Dropping you now.” Joker said it quickly and the mako suddenly tilted forward and she felt as they dropped into a fall. She held on tight to her rifle, trusting the harness to hold her in her seat. She looked out the windshield as the ground rapidly approached before Shepard pressed a few buttons and they came to a rather bumpy landing.

“One of these days, Joker.” Shepard practically sighed it out and Pyjak grinned as they started moving.

“You like him too much.” It was hard _not_ to like Joker. Anyone who didn’t was seriously missing a sense of humor and Pyjak didn’t want to have anything to do with them if that was the case.

“Some days less than others.” He muttered it out slightly before bringing up the vehicle’s display. “If these coordinates are correct, we need to head north west of here to reach the base Dantius told us about.” With that Shepard yanked on the steering wheel and floored it, sending the mako into a rather tilted turn that got increasingly bumpier.

Pyjak could only laugh as Wrex grumbled and held onto his harness. Shepard _really_ was a shitty driver but she liked that, it kept her adrenaline up. She felt like they were on one of those super old amusement rides where they allowed you play to bumper asteroids with a pedal ship as Shepard attempted to climb a mountain and sent them into a roll that he had to use several boosts from their landing gear so they wouldn’t get stuck as he cursed rather artfully.

Pyjak clung to her gun, chortling with amusement as they finally came up to what looked to be a rather large base on the surface of the planet they were dropped on. The vehicle display beeped out an alert before showing a radar screen with several pings. “Quite a few pirates outside. Need to take them out.”

“Drop us out here.” Pyjak reached for her buckle, ignoring as Shepard cursed.

“We can get them with the turret.” He barked it out but Pyjak was already out of her seat, Wrex not far behind her as she reached the door to the mako.

“Don’t use a sword when a scalpel is needed, Shepard. I’ll see you outside.” Without waiting, she opened the door and dove out. She could hear the gunfire almost immediately and the rounds pinged off of the of the mako. There was no cover but she came out from her roll, her rifle held steady as she aimed quickly and took out several of the pirates with well placed shots, two of them freezing. “Pops!” She called it out and he moved with her as he tossed a grenade at the two frozen pirates as she advanced, giving cover fire. The grenade went off, shattering the two pirates as she froze another one and took out two more without freezing them.

She moved forward quickly, trusting Wrex to cover her back and her caught sight of Shepard in her peripheral vision. “Seriously, Jak-” She swung her rifle towards him and took out the pirate on his left side, freezing them before they could shoot him.

“Watch your ass and knock that bitch out, Shepard!” She didn’t turn to see anything as she advanced further with Wrex. She was vaguely aware of Shepard on her left as the remaining pirates closed ranks, hiding behind the only cover they could find, spraying fire at them, keeping them from advancing more. “Pops?”

“Shitter special coming up.” With the words, Wrex took his grenade belt of and engaged them before lobbing them over the cover. Pyjak turned and launched at Shepard, taking him to the ground behind the closest cover as she laughed. The resulting explosion sending the pirates' cover flipping through the air, barely missing their own.

“What the fuck was that?” At the words, she grinned, knowing Shepard couldn’t see her.

“Dumping on the enemies. Shitter house special.” She exchanged her heat sink, leaning against the cover. “How many we got left, pops?” She glanced around the cover but could only see a few bodies laying around.

“Just clean up.” At the words she nodded and tapped Shepard’s shoulder moving out of the cover with her rifle up. Wrex was lazily shooting the pirates on the ground with his shotgun, taking them out of commission permanently. She followed suit, glancing at their weapons before making a face. They weren’t exactly the most outfitted group and their weapons were pathetic.

“Okay. They have been cleared out but don’t you _ever_ do that without a clear plan of attack again.” Shepard stalked towards her, pointing at her almost angrily and she hefted her rifle, resting it against her shoulder.

“I had a plan. I’m always tank. I come in, draw their fire, spray and pray, and then the more exact players come in for clean up. My shields are modded to hell and back and my armour is high tensile weave carbon with a touch of eezo mixed in. It’s highly rated for combat, barely lets anything through.” She shrugged as she patted her armoured middle, liking the slight but familiar clank it had. She was tank for a reason. She was virtually indestructible. “Our goal was to eliminate the pirates outside. There are no more pirates outside and no one is hurt. Stop worrying about me and watch your ass, that pirate nearly got a free shot at you because you were too busy worrying about what I was doing.” She shifted the rifle, holding it in her hands as she pointed back to where the pirate that had nearly tagged him was lying down.

“I am the commander here, Jakkie. I make the plans of attack.” Shepard pointed at her again and she could practically see the agitation vibrating his body.

“You wanted to use the turret to get them, risking more severe damage to the mako. We don’t have enough omni-gel to fix it and I doubt Vakarian would like to have to replace half the mako the rest of this week and well into next.” Not that she wouldn’t have minded helping but her way had been far easier and a shit ton easier on their already slightly rattled mako from Shepard’s driving. He really was a shit driver.

“Are you going to sit there and bitch, Shepard, or are we going to finish this?” Wrex lifted his shotgun, waving it slightly towards the door. “Still have pirates to kill. You take point.” Shepard was string at her through his mask and Pyjak was busy rolling her eyes but gestured as well.

“Let’s go, Shepard, you can yell at me later.” She moved to stand beside Wrex, waiting for Shepard to make up his mind on what he was going to do. There were a few moments of pause before he stalked past them and towards the door. She fell into step behind him, he could be pissy all he wanted but it didn’t stop the fact his solution was more timely and costly. That and she had a very big idea that the reason he didn’t want to do it the right way because he didn’t want her in the way of flying bullets. Which was more than aggravating, she wasn’t a child, she didn’t need to be protected.

They entered the building and quickly encountered numerous enemies that they took out quick and easy. Her rifle was getting a work out and she liked that it was. She had spent too long cooped up in the ship and she had a very large feeling that if Shepard decided to permanently ground her from missions she would be heading back to the _Kalros_ and going to Omega so she wouldn’t go fucking insane. She wasn’t a kid, not anymore. She understood the last time he had seen her, she had been four years old but that had been eighteen years ago and she was more than grown and more than capable of taking care of herself.

She quickly aimed and took down a pirate that was coming at Shepard from his left. “Eyes up, Shepard. Your left is weak, either move up or get shot.” She shifted her spot, moving around him to cover the spot he seemed to ignore was a glaring free pot shot spot. She rolled her eyes as he muttered something too low to hear in the comms. It seemed she was more than capable of taking care of herself and the damned commander that was just _asking_ to get shot by keeping his side open like that.

They moved round some crates and Wrex let out a bellow. “Up top!” He shoved them both and a sniper round clipped Pyjak’s helmet as Shepard stumbled into her.

“Fuck’s sake!” She hissed it out as she shouldered her rifle behind the crates they had been shoved behind. “Throw that bitch, pops!” At the words Wrex tossed out some biotics and she smoothly moved around Shepard and fired off several shots as the sniper flew through the air. She smirked as the sniper froze and then shattered as it hit the ground. She caught sight of another laser aiming at her and rolled, right as another sniper round was fired. “Again!” She didn’t have to watch to make sure Wrex knew what to do as he tossed another biotic wave at the sniper’s perch. She took that sniper out as well, wasting more ammo than she would have liked.

She heard a roar and slipped behind a crate. “Krogan!” At the word Wrex charged from cover, hitting the charging krogan from the side. Pyjak glanced before she caught a door opening and cursed as more pirates came rushing out. She moved quickly around the crates before she cursed. “Shepard, I’m pinned here!” She couldn’t get a shot off with them firing at her like they were and with Wrex taking on the krogan she needed help. She switched out her heat sink, shoving a new one in as she discarded her spent one.

“Copy that, I’ll draw fire and you take out what you can.” His voice was calm and she waited a few seconds until she could hear him firing and her crate stopped getting peppered as bad with rounds. She smoothly moved around and fired. Her shields started taking damage as the pirates split their fire but they held as she and Shepard took care of them. Once she was sure everything was in hand, she and Shepard met up and they headed for the two krogans right as Wrex kicked the other krogan into a crate.

“Shoot the bastard!” At the order she lifted her rifle and peppered the korgan with as many rounds as she could, Shepard following suit until the krogna fell down and didn’t get back up. “Good shooting.” Wrex nodded before thumping Shepard on the back.

“I don’t see Dantius’ sister anywhere.” He said it low and Pyjak shrugged.

“We can only look around and see what we can find.” With that they split up, looking through the rooms. She found some fire burst rounds and some med kits as well as a sash of omni-gel before Shepard came down from upstairs, his bearing pissed to all hell.

“She fucking used me!” He hissed the words out as he stalked towards the door and Pyjak raised an eyebrow, even though he couldn’t see.

“What’s up?” She jogged to keep up with him and she ws aware Wrex was following close behind.

“Nassana Dantius used me to kill her sister because she was a fucking slaver! She manipulated me into thinking her sister was taken but her sister was running the operation!” He sounded absolutely venomous and Pyjak found herself grinning.

“Somebody’s in trouble.” She sang it out slightly and Shepard whirled around and stared at her. She shifted her weight and hefted her rifle to her shoulder. She felt like they were in a staring contest but she couldn’t be bothered.

“You did good. You should listen more but you had my back and you handled yourself well.” The words sounded almost gritted before he turned back around and stalked off. Wrex nudged her side as he walked past and she chuckled.

She had never had a compliment sound more grudging and hated in her life.


	27. Of Finishing Missions and Plotting Pyjaks

Shepard was fuming. He couldn’t believe that he had fallen for Nassana’s line of bullshit. There was a reason he _hated_ politicians or those working close to them. They were all snakes and couldn’t be trusted, they always had an ulterior motive. He gripped the steering wheel of the mako a bit tighter, cursing underneath his breath. He couldn’t wait to head back to the Citadel and give Dantius a piece of his mind.

“Shit goes sideways, Johnny Boy. Don’t let it rile you up too bad.” At Jakkie’s rather calm voice Shepard made a face inside his helmet. That was another issue. Other than the fact she was a little loose when it came with listening to orders, she was one hell of a fighter. She was precise, watchful, and steady. She held her calm under fire and got the job done. She had also exposed him slightly. He had found himself worrying about what she was doing to the point where she had to step in and actually watch his ass so it wouldn’t get shot.

He didn’t like the fact he had to admit that his baby sister was far more capable than he had ever given credit for and that if she had been in the Alliance she probably would have been well on her way to her own commander rank. Her and Wrex moved like a well oiled machine and she fell into step with him without question. She was handy in a fight and she could call orders when she needed and was watching out for those on her team.

So he didn’t like to admit the fact that he had been wrong and that there was actually no reason for him to no take her out on missions now. He had wanted to keep her safe, he _still_ did, but there was nothing he could hide behind now. She was more than capable on her own and he could actually see how her and Wrex were a highly effective bounty hunter team. There was no, one pulling more weight than the other, they both pulled their own weight and then some. He hated the fact that Jakkie had caught him out, _twice_.

“I can see why you like your rifle, Jakkie.” The rifle was a fucking beast, Shepard could see just why she liked it, that and he wanted to change the discussion and if there was one thing he had learned about her it was that getting her to talk about her weapons. “How the hell were you cryo blasting so many pirates with that thing?” He had been surprised, a startling number of the pirates had been frozen as she had been shooting. He had never seen that many on standard cryo ammo.

“Oh, I have a cryo mod built in. I don’t use cryo ammo, shit’s weak. I can get over 20% chance of icing enemies from what I put into my mod.”

“You can mod for that?” There was a level of incredulity to his voice that Shepard couldn’t help. He had never

“I can, no one else. I hold the current patent for that one and I have a feeling that if it got out I might have some fabrication companies after me just to bury it with me.” She chortled at that, as if the casual thought of some corporate lackey trying to assassinate her was endlessly amusing. “Can’t sell anymore cryo ammo if you’ve got a mod for it. So it’s one and done currently.” Shepard glanced at her, blinking rapidly. She had a huge fucking point about the business aspect of it but the fact she had actually made a mod that could create cryo ammo inside the rifle was absolutely mindblowing for him.

“But could you do a polonium mod or a fire burst mod?” He could only imagine the damage that those mods would cause if she created them. Hell, he would be one of the first few to grab the mods. If he could take down a charging krogan with some modded weapons he would pay good money for that. Anything to make sure the enemy was put down good and hard the _first_ time.

She shrugged, “Hypothetically with the fire mod, it would be similar to the cryo mod but definitely not for the polonium mod. That requires actual polonium to use.” She tilted her head as she looked at him. She had taken the helmet off the minute she had gotten back into the mako, muttering about how she hated wearing them.

Shepard paused before he shifted his hands on the steering wheel and went over a rather rough bump that had Jakkie chuckling and Wrex grumbling about his shitty driving. “But you could make one and just have a refill spot for the polonium right? Like have a polonium rod or whatever that you could change out when it got depleted, right?” It made sense and he glanced at her again, they were getting close to the pick up spot where Joker said for them to meet him and the _Normandy_.

“No-” She froze, her face twisting up with confusion. “Wait.” She tilted her head, her expression going almost calculating, as if she was computing something intense inside of her head. “Wait, wait...yah... _yeah_ you could do that!” Excitement bloomed over her expression and she grinned at him. “You could totally do that! You would need to figure out how to get the mod to function for the polonium inputting and how you could manage to get it inside the heat sink but you could literally make that!” She looked so excited that Shepard found himself smiling at her.

“No you’ve done it, Shepard. She isn’t going to stop until she has that shit figured out.” Wrex sounded amused and John shook his head wryly. If it made her happy then he was happy to give her the idea.

“Shush, pops! I’m thinking! I might be able to program-” She cut herself off, her eyebrows furrowing as she muttered to herself, her fingers twitching as she stared hard at the mako’s front panel. He could tell she was more than likely not even remotely in the present at the moment, more than likely locked inside of her own head, figuring out schematics for what would work and what wouldn’t.

He liked that she was smart, that she was so capable of figuring out these strange and almost impossible ideas and making them possible. It made him feel a bit better about her life. He wondered if she would have liked it that much if the raid had never happened but he shook the thought away. There was no reason to think about the what ifs, she and Wrex told him he needed to accept her as she was and thinking about what she would have been like living a life on Mindoir was not going to help anything, just make his chest ache for his family.

Shepard watched as the Normandy landed on the flat sand field in front of them and the cargo bay slowly lowered. John aimed the mako for it and within a few minutes they were inside and parked. Wrex got up first and reached up, grabbing Jakkie’s shoulder. “Come on, Pyjak. Do your thinking inside the ship where you can fiddle with your mods.” The words barely seemed to register but she gave a faint nod and got out of her seat, her eyebrows furrowing a touch more as she moved out of the vehicle. Shepard followed, pulling off his helmet.

He watched as Pyjak grabbed her modding case before she paused, her gaze intent on the floor. She rubbed at her forehead before her head snapped up. “Tali!” It boomed out of her and Shepard raised an eyebrow as she took off towards the drive core. “Do you think it would get me put on a terrorist watch list if I got my hands on several grams of raw polonium?” The words faded and he chuckled, moving over to the elevator.

He was feeling a bit better about everything, he was still pissed that he fell for Dantius’ manipulation. She _would_ hear about it when he took leave to go back to the Citadel to stock up on supplies, which was coming up soon, but he wasn’t headache inducing angry like he had been previous.

“Everything go smoothly?” Joker’s voice came over the intercom system and Shepard shook his head.

“Nasanna Dantius is going to get her ass kicked when we hit the Citadel next.” He scowled slightly as he stepped into the elevator and took it to the next floor. He wanted to get out of his armour and into something more comfortable.

“That good?” Joker sounded amused but he always sounded amused so it wasn’t anything new.

Shepard took off his gloves before h rubbed at his forehead with an aggravated sigh. “She tricked me into killing her slaver sister.”

“Oh, _that_ good then.” There was a slight pause before Joker coughed slightly, “Want me to head to the Citadel now so you can get to the ass kicking?” The words did make Shepard smile slightly.

“How are we on fuel?” He needed to make a plan for where hey needed to go and what to do next. He wanted to head to Feros but he wanted to be completely prepared before they did.

“We are still good for a few days but we are close to a fuel station. I would check the dextro supplies though. I thought I heard Tali grumbling about how gross whatever ones that you got are.” At the words Shepard made a face. He wasn’t sure why Tali or Garrus hadn’t told them they hadn’t been good He would have picked them up better ones.

“Copy that. We should probably head into the Citadel before we do Feros. Maybe swing by Artemis Tau cluster so we can check that mission out for Admiral Kahoku.” If they were doing a swing around it was better to settle the Admiral’s mind before they headed back, that way it wouldn’t be a trip to the Citadel that made is blood pressure rise extraordinarily high.

“Will do, Commander.” With those words the elevator opened and Shepard headed to his room. He honestly wanted to fall into his bed and sleep for several years. He hadn’t wanted his life to get so complicated.


	28. Of Deviant Pilots and Talking Mods

Pyjak stood in the cockpit, watching as the Citadel drew closer. “See, if you watch carefully, you can see the arms of the Citadel.” Joker’s tone was patronizing and Pyjak held back her smile as she raised an eyebrow and looked down at him. “You know, because you're an uneducated krogan who doesn’t know what us pretty city folks live like?” He threw her a cheeky smile and she let a smirk tug her mouth up.

She grabbed the back of his chair and leaned down. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“See, that’s what I was going for.” He grinned up at her and Pyjak rolled her eyes slightly but grinned back. “I always want giant, muscular women to find me adorable. If I wasn’t so fragile, you just might be one of my kinks.” He lifted his finger after a second, his eyebrows raising as he pointed at her. “ _Or,_ perhaps, you _are_ one of my kinks but it matches with my humiliation kink of knowing I can never ever do the sexy times with women like you.” He let out a small sigh. “Ahhhh the joys of brittle bones.” He gestured to himself and Pyjak couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well that should make your humiliation fetish happy at least.” She stood up straighter, watching the ship approach the Citadel’s docking range. “Do you want me to point out your flaws and issues and at least satisfy both of them at once?” She swallowed her grin and the laughter that burbled up as she gave the suggestion.

Joker gave a small but happy gasp, clutching his hands to his chest. “You’re just too good to me, Pyjak, you know that?” He gave her an exaggerated look of adoration along with the words and her mouth tugged upwards.

She leaned down again and winked at him as she tapped him on his nose gently. “Well you _are_ being a good boy and that deserves a treat.” She nearly purred the words at him and he leaned back slightly, his hand pressed to his chest as he blinked.

“ _Well_ , I will _definitely_ be saving that one for the spank bank later.” He waved his finger at her and Pyjak grinned at him

“ _What_?” At Shepard’s utterly confused voice Pyjak stood up straighter and glanced over her shoulder at where Shepard had come into the cockpit.

Joker gave a slight cough and turned back to the controls. “Nothing that makes sense without context, commander.” Shepared was looking between the two of them with confusion and Pyjak grinned.

“Oh, I was just giving Joker some spank bank material to satisfy his fetish for giant muscular women and humiliation.” She watched as Shepard’s confusion only deepened. She could only imagine how straight laced he was, no exploration in the bedroom at all with him. She could tell. It was always the military types who were like that.

“Actually that last one wasn’t so much humiliation as a validation kink.” Joker pointed it out and she let out a small ahh in response.

“So would you like me to list your flaws and _then_ say you are a good boy and deserve a treat? Just to give you a trifecta?” She raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Joker gave her another look of adoration. “Pyjak, you are just... just too good to me.” He shook his head slightly with a tsk, “If you keep this up, I might have to propose to you.”

“And what would I get out of it? A husband I could crumple in my hands like a piece of paper?” She grinned down at him with a wink when he looked at her.

“My everlasting adoration and love, of course.” He said it in a rather high and lofty manner and she rolled her eyes.

“See, I _have_ that already.” She shifted her weight on her feet and looked at him.

“Dammit!” His face screwed up as he muttered underneath his breath. “I’ll think of something. Give me a second.” He turned back to his displays and tapped on a few things as Pyjak watched the Citadel docks took up the entire view.

“Well, I’m going to pretend I didn’t walk in on whatever type of conversation this was.” Shepard made a faint sound in his throat and Pyjak couldn’t help but smirk at how uncomfortable he seemed. “Joker, how long until we can dock?”

“With your spectre authority, we get the first access pass, so like ten minutes, Commander.” Joker stated it evenly before turning his chair to look at Shepard. Pyjak shifted with him so she could watch as well. “And we can explain the context for you if you wan-”

Shepard held up a hand, cutting him off, “ _Nope_. Nope. I am good.” He turned and walked away, making Pyjak’s grin grow wider.

“Come on, Commander. Live a little.” Joker called it out and Shepard shook his head.

“I’m good, Joker.” He moved further into the CIC and Pyjak chuckled, unable to keep the amusement to herself.

“That man needs to get laid, or have a lap dance or _something_.” Joker made a sound of disgust. “I mean come on. That man is wound so tightly if he gets wound up anymore he will literally explode.” He turned back to his displays and Pyjak chuckled again.

“The Great Commander Shepard, Hero of the Skyllian Blitz, taken down by _not_ busting a nut.” At the words Joker actually half barked out a laugh before he caught himself.

“Hush, Pyjak. I need to be official now.” He hissed the words at her good naturally and she rolled her eyes as he cleared his throat and then asked for docking clearance under spectre authority. There was a bit of back and forth before she heard the clearance being given.

She spotted Tali coming through the CIC rather quickly, clutching a satchel tight to her chest. “Yo, Tali!” She lifted her hand and walked towards the quarian. “Do you have any plans on the Citadel?” She stuck her hands in the pockets of her jeans and Tali stopped short in front of her before shaking her head. “Wanna hang out? I wanna get some supplies for the new mods I was talking to you about and pops isn’t wanting to come out this time. Plus if I’m left alone too long I get in _trouble_.” She sang the last word with a grin and Tali shook her head slightly, the slant of her shoulders amused.

“Why am I not surprised? You asked me if you would get put on a terrorist watch list for buying bulk polonium. I can only imagine the destruction you would cause unsupervised.” Tali laughed lightly and Pyjak grinned at her.

“I take that as a compliment.” She did. She liked being seen as chaotic and unpredictable so telling her that was literally just a great compliment.

“Of course you would. That is what makes you, you.” Tali chuckled as she shifted her grip on her bag.

“And I wouldn’t want to be anyone else.” Pyjak rocked back and forth on her feet as she shoved her hands back into her pockets. “Did you give anymore thoughts onto the polonium release programming we talked about last night?”

The quarian huffed, “I could barely sleep. I was running through programming variations in my head all night.” She shook her head. “I still can’t figure it out. You would need to get a release that would trigger the polonium to engage into the heat sink without exposing yourself to radiation or melting the weapon you are using in the mod.”

Pyjak shook her head with a frown. “The containment for heat is easy. I had to deal with the opposite end of the spectrum with my cryo mod so I can modify it for heat but the radiation will be a bit more difficult.” She needed to figure out a good containment for the polonium if she wanted to use it. She wondered if she should just snag some polonium rounds and pick them apart to see how they worked.

Tali made a faint noise before she tapped on the chin port, “Maybe not, Jakkie. A lot of the fleet’s old drive cores can give off radiation if we aren’t careful. We have barriers we created to maintain shielding from the radioactive components. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how to minimize it.” She let out a faint humming sound and Pyjak frowned slightly, trying to work through the problem in front of them both.

“Containment aside, we still have to make the delivery system and figure out how to make it replaceable.” They needed to figure out just how to get the polonium into the mod and how to make replacements for it.

Tali shook her head slightly, her mask tilted down as she looked at the floor. “Not exactly. If we get enough polonium inside the mod itself, you wouldn’t need to get replacements. Polonium is fatal in minuscule doses so you wouldn’t need much to get a fatal shot with one.” The idea had merit but Pyjak scrunched her face up sightly, thinking about it.

“Yah but it decays quickly, like a hundred and forty days or something like that.” She ran a hand through her hair before bringing her hand up and nibbling at the skin around her thumbnail gently.

There was a bit of silence as the two of them mentally tried to grind through the problems they were encountering. “What if we built a containment field for it that could help halt the decaying process?” Tali said it hesitantly and Pyjak blinked rapidly.

She frowned as she stopped nibbling on the skin around her thumbnail and tapped her chin with a finger. “Something like a stasis field?” She glanced at Tali and the quarian looked a tad relieved, as if she had been expecting her idea to be shot down.

“Exactly!” She had perked up and Pyjak nodded and another small silence fell before Pyjak stiffened.

“ _Wait_... if we focus our energy onto a stasis field to keep it stable, we won’t have to worry about heat shielding because it only creates that energy and heat when it decays!” Excitement built in her stomach. With a stasis field, there would be no need for containment as the heat from the energy it created would be negated.

“Right!” Tali nodded rapidly as Pyjak looked back and forth, thinking in her head through everything she had crammed into her head during her and Tali’s late night researching binge.

“And thinking about it, we are focusing on it wrong. Polonium is only radioactive due to the Alpha particles it emits and they can’t travel far, nor can they penetrate the skin. So the radioactivity would be negligible.” If it was contained into the stasis, there would be no danger to the person using the mod, just the people building the mod. “Only we would be at risk from the alpha particles as we would be handling the polonium before we put the it into the stasis field. After we put it into stasis-”

Tali gasped a the realization, “The decaying stops! Meaning it stops being radioactive as it only emits Alpha particles as it decays!” She nearly started bouncing and Pyjak couldn’t blame her, she was nearly vibrating as well.

“Yes!” She tapped her fingers together rapidly as she thought it out. “So we only have to worry about figuring out a stasis field rather than a heat containment shield with a radiation barrier added to it!” It freed up so much space on the schematic for the mod. They wouldn’t have to make two different shielding ports inside the mod itself, which left a _lot_ of room.

“I could start working on that. I could modify some of our old schematics from the Fleet’s engine room shielding to see if I can make it so it will potentially stop the decaying process.” Tali sounded excited and she actually wiggled as her voice pitched upwards with her excitement.

“And I’ll work out how to get the injection system built so we can put it all together!” Pyjak felt like she would get it, it was only a matter of time. It was like the entire schematic for the injection system was resting on the tip of her tongue. She was so close, she could practically taste it. She crossed her arms over her chest and then rubbed at her jaw while she thought about it, trying to chase the elusive schematic she new was dancing around in her brain.

“That was hot.” Joker said it with a very serious tone and Pyjak grinned as she looked back at him. He had spun his chair around and was sitting there with his fingers steepled as he stared between them. “Like seriously, not even joking. Listening to you two talk science gets the engines running full throttle.” He grinned at Pyjak and Tali gave a small scoff.

“Is there anything that _doesn’t_ get your ‘engines running’, Joker?” She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to look at the pilot, who simply shrugged.

“Golden showers and scat play. Not for lack of looking, just not really my cup of tea.” He pursed his lips slightly as he seemed to study them, his eyes narrowing. “So when did you become an expert on radioactive isotopes, Pyjak? Tali I get, she’s the type for it but you?” He gestured at her slightly and Pyjak shifted on her feet, turning to face him.

“Last night.” She and Tali had done a huge research dive the night before and she was still sifting through it all but she had read enough to understand what they were doing with the radioactive material. As the female shamans had told her, she strove for knowledge and her pursuit of it would be endless.

“ _What_?” Joker looked actually shocked as his jokingly serious posture faltered and he blinked at her.

“Last night. Tali and I researched the fuck out of polonium and all current polonium round schematics that have been made public.” Every bit of it was now bouncing around her head, trying to make find a place in what she wanted to create. “I’m not running on a lot of sleep but I had to understand everything before I decided to fuck with it.” Only an idiot played with radioactive isotopes without understanding them.

“ _Wow_.” Joker’s eyebrows rose before he smirked. “Colour me impressed _and_ horny.” And there was the Joker she knew and loved.

“Maybe Tali and I can get some lab coats while out on the Citadel and then stand up in the cockpit and talk _science_ to you all day.” Pyjak wiggled her eyebrows at him while Tali snapped her head to look at her in what Pyjak presumed was horror.

“Will there be anything _under_ those lab coats?” Joker wiggled his eyebrows in return and Pyjak shifted her weight, jutting her hip out.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.” She smirked and then winked at him.

Joker clutched his chest, slumping back into his chair. “You’re _killin_ ’ me, Pyjak!” He gasped it out, his amusement, clear, even though he tried hard to hide it.

“You love it.” She grinned at him. Joker loved her antics just about as much as she loved his, which was a lot. She didn’t know what she would have done without him on he ship. Probably thrown either herself or several others out the airlock.

“You have twelve hours shore leave. Be back here at 21 hundred hours.” Shepard’s voice came over the comms and Pyjak turned to look at Tali who was just shaking her head.

“We have some trouble to get into, don’t we?” She grinned at the quarian, who just sighed slightly.

“I guess we do.” She shook her head and Pyjak thumped her on the back slightly with a laugh. Tali wasn’t half bad either.


	29. Of Modding Materials and Troubles with C-Sec

Pyjak waited by the door a bit impatiently. She really wanted to head out and buy a few things for the polonium mod so she and Tali could work on it. She was honestly quite excited about it. She never really had anyone to discuss mods or make a mod with so having Tali there to bounce ideas off of was great.

She caught sight of Garrus coming through the CIC and she lifted a hand in greeting as she grinned. "Hey big guy, you heading out to do anything fun?” He was still dressed in his light armour but then again a lot of turians like to stay in armour when they were out and about. She didn't like calling someone paranoid but for how military trained they were, the fact they were rarely out of their armour spoke for itself. They were a rather paranoid species. 

His mandibles twitched slightly in nervousness, “No, just wanted to check out the weapons kiosk to see if any new mods have come in.” He nodded at Tali and seemed to do his best to look everywhere but at Pyjak and that made her grin that much wider. 

She fought her grin down from a 'I'm gunna burst out laughing in your face' to a 'See? It's alright, I'm a friend' level. “I can make you mods if you want.” She tucked her hands back into her pockets and the offer seemed to surprise him before he shook his head.

“You are doing a lot already, Pyjak. I mean you mod everything you get your hands on and you're helping me with the mako, plus you're now going out with Shepard a lot.” He said it carefully and she scoffed as she rolled her eyes. 

“If I couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have asked, big guy.” She rocked back and forth on her feet. “You let me know what mod you want for what rifle you've got and I’ll make it for you. If you're really pressed about it. Spot me some credits.” She waved her hand flippantly in the air. She liked modding and she honestly wasn't too busy to make him a few mods. And it wasn't like she was doing it out of the kindness of her own heart. He was hot and she was interested. Gavorn always did tell her the best way to a turian's heart was playing with his guns... Although _that_ might have been a bit more sex based than she was currently using it for. 

“She’s amazing with them, Garrus! My shotgun works like a dream now and she said she will upgrade any others I get.” Tali practically gushed and waved her hands around excitedly and Pyjak sent Garrus a rather smug look. "Plus we're working on a schematic for a polonium mod that will transfer any regular heat sink into polonium rounds! So any mods she makes for you will be amazing!" Pyjak barely blinked at the praise. She was good at modding, there was no reason to get flustered about it. 

Garrus looked between Tali and her before he gave a small nod. “Sure. If you're okay with taking it on.”

“Hundred percent, my guy. Let me know what mods you want and I'll make them for you.” She reached over and thumped him on the shoulder. The air lock started to flash green, letting them know they could head out of the ship and she grinned at him again. "Anyway, Tali and I are going to burn down the presidium commons and get into a high speed chase with C-sec, so we we'll see you later.”

“Tell Chellick I say hi when you inevitably get tossed in his direction.” He said it with a slightly slow blink and Pyjak's mouth dropped open before she laughed. 

“Oh you got _jokes_ , birdy!” She reached over and shoved at his shoulder as she laughed. 

He ran his hand over his fringe, his mandibles fluttering slightly as he looked all together bashful. “Only on the odd days.”

“No kidding.” Pyjak punched his arm lightly. “Well Tali and I have a date with arson, a high speed chase, and C-Sec so we will see you once we get out.” She gave him a sharp salute as she said it and he actually flicked a mandible out in a smirk.

“Should I alert Chellick you are going to be making your rounds?” There was a surprise teasing to the words that had her grinning. 

“ _Nah_. Let’s surprise him. I’ll certainly let him know you say hi though as he slaps me in cuffs.” She was aware that Tali was looking at her as if she couldn't tell if she was joking or not and Pyjak saw no need to try and reassure her. The anticipation and suspense was much more fun that ruining the surprise. 

“Thank you. I much appreciate being lumped in with the riff raff.” He said it jokingly and Pyjak grinned again, happy he was at least bantering with her now instead of remaining flustered and nervous. 

“That’s what I'm here for.” She gave him another salute and his forehead plates shifted upwards slightly. 

“Oh? I thought you were here as eye candy for Moreau.” He tilted his head as he looked at her and then pointedly looked at Joker and Pyjak burst into laughter 

“Oh he’s got _jokes_ , jokes!” Joker said it loudly from the cockpit and Pyjak held her stomach as she cracked up. She hadn't been expecting that but she honestly loved it. 

Once she finished cackling she reached over and thumped Garrus's shoulder. "You're alright, big guy." She wiped at her eyes, still giggling as she gestured to Tali whose bearing was amused. "We should get going." She nodded at Garrus and he returned it as her and Tali headed for the air lock. 

"Bring me back something nice, Pyjak!" Joker's voice followed her and she shook her head with a chuckle as she and Tali exited the ship. The Citadel was busy and bright as the two of them hit the docks 

"Wanna get a rapid transit shuttle?" She looked over at Tali who gave a quick nod. They headed for the closest terminal and before long they were on their way to the presidium Commons. 

"Are we _really_ going to start trouble?" Tali asked it low and Pyjak chuckled. 

"I never start trouble, Tali. It just happens to find me wherever I go. But I promise you I'll do my best to not get you arrested by C-Sec." She looked over at the quarian who seemed highly relieved at the words. 

Tali stiffened slightly. "Wait, you didn't say you wouldn't do your best to make sure _you_ aren't arrested." The quarian threw her an offended look and Pyjak cackled. 

"That's because I like to keep my options open!" The landed at the station and Pyjak hopped out of the shuttle and looked at the crowds milling about. She didn't much care for the Citadel, she had always preferred Omega but it was better than nothing. Although she knew she would actually have to try hard to get the polonium she wanted without getting caught. "Where did you need to go first?" She looked at Tali and the quarian gummed slightly. 

"Good food. I want some good food." With that, Pyjak cut through the crowd using her best murder expression that had people jumping out of their way. She was aware Tali was keeping up behind her and for that she was glad. She didn't want to lose her in the crowd.

They made their way to the food market and Pyjak slowed and gestured for Tali to lead. She, herself, was fine with the rations they had on board so she didn't need to buy anything to eat. She figured it was best for Tali to pick out her own food without having to deal with Pyjak throwing a murderous glare at the vendors. She didn't have very many defaults and it was better if people kept a wide berth around her when it came to crowded places. It kept the space around her open if she needed to act quickly and it keep just people away from her. 

She settled closer to a wall, watching Tali as she moved from stall to stall, picking out various foods and putting them into her sack. She was a good person, Pyjak was more than aware of that and she was good people in Pyjak's book. She had never really done friends before but she had to admit that Tali and Joker were her friends. It was strange to realize but it was there all the same. It had been her and pops for so many years that realizing she had her own friends outside of Wrex's Merc buddies was surprising. 

It didn't take long for Tali to finish and she practically skipped towards where Pyjak was standing. "I can't believe Shepard _pays_ us to be on the ship with him! I am going to stash this away in my locker." She held her sack tightly in her hands, nearly vibrating with excitement and Pyjak grinned at her. 

"Good idea. Let's get some of my shit ordered." Pyjak thumped Tali's back rather hard and the quarian stumbled. 

" _Keelah, Jakkie._ " She sputtered it out and Pyjak rubbed the top of the quarian's head with a chuckle before she jerked her head towards the crowd.

"Same as before. I murder stare and march and you follow in the path I make." She didn't wait for Tali to respond as she once again stalked through the crowd. People parted for her quickly and she headed straight for some of the tech stores. She ordered more of her modding materials from the salarian running the kiosk. She flashed her ID card, letting the salarian know she was able to purchase some of the more restricted modding stock. He had scrutinized the ID carefully but in the end he opened the restricted section in the kiosk for her to browse. She did happily, ordering a restock of most of her modding materials before getting a few of the newer mother boards and lenses for thermal scopes. 

She moved over to some weapons kiosks and checked out their stock, mouth twitching as she pointed some out to Tali, speaking out the side of her mouth each and every flaw the models had. They kind of wandered off from each other but Pyjak kept her eyes slightly on the quarian as the younger woman took in the views She was enjoying herself immensely as she moved to the Citadel gift shop. She grinned as she looked at the various things they had on the shelves. 

She spotted a small 'sexy' hanar bobble toy that, when the top was moved, the tentacles moved around, waving its lingeried ass around. She wasn't going to lie, she immediately thought of Joker when she spotted it. He _had_ said to get him something nice. "Can you hand me that?" She pointed at it and the asari shopkeeper nodded and set it on the counter for her. Pyjak looked over the shelves before she grinned again as she spotted a Destiny Ascension model shop. "And that." The shopkeep nodded and grabbed it. She had noticed Shepard liked tinkering with model ships and she hoped the giant ass model would teach him to not be boring. He _had_ to get bored halfway through building it. 

She grabbed a few more things from the kiosk and shelf, trying to get something for everyone before her eyes went wide and she gasped with delight. "What?" The shopkeep looked concerned but Pyjak waved her off. 

"Gimme!" She pointed to the sticker she spotted and the Asari shopkeep raised an eyebrow but grabbed it off the shelf and handed it over. The rectangular sticker said 'Galaxy's Best Dad!' in colourful bubble letters and Pyjak grinned with delight at the thought of Wrex's face when she presented it to him. "That's all I want." She handed over a credit chit, not particularly caring how much it all cost, and the asari nodded, bagging up her purchases before tucking the receipt into the bag and handing it over.

Pyjak took it with a thanks before she headed to the crowd to find Tali. She spotted her looking over the railing to the rest of the Citadel. "Damn suit rat. I bet it's stealing." At the voice she slowly turned her head and spotted two asari talking to themselves as they pointed at Tali.

"You can't trust them. They will make off with your credit chits and your tech." The other one tsked rather judgementally and Pyjak moved over there. "Didn't you say you lost a credit chit earlier? Maybe the suit rat took it." At the words Pyjak's eyes went wide. 

"You are right! There is an officer over there. Let's get him. I'm sure that even if it doesn't have it, the officer is _bound_ to find something." The Asari looked completely unrepentant as she said it and Pyjak clenched her hands into fists. 

"Oi!" She barked it out as she moved over to them. "Stop being xenophobic assholes." She deliberately let her voice grow louder to draw more attention and the two asari side eyed her and Pyjak narrowed her eyes. "That's my friend you are talking shit about. So now we have a fucking problem." No one was gunna call Tali a suit rat and accused her of stealing without proof, not while she was around to hear it. 

"God, you humans are so _rude_." The one Asari waved her off and Pyjak raised an eyebrow. 

"Rude? _I'm_ being rude? You called my friend a suit rat and accused her of stealing even though she's doing nothing but enjoying the sights of the Citadel." Pyjak waved her hand slightly, her eyes narrowed. "You're the rude one with your bigoted bullshit you two are spewing!" She pointed between the two of them and they clutched their chests with a gasp of indignation that someone could possibly call them out on their bullshit. 

"Excuse me?!" It was hissed out and Pyjak squared her shoulders. 

"You fucking heard me." She gritted it out noticed that Tali had moved to stand beside her. 

"Jakkie..." Her voice was low and pleading and Pyjak shook her head as she handed Tali her bag from the souvenir shop. 

"What's going on here?" At the flanged voice and the flash of blue that signaled C-Sec Pyjak shifted her feet firmly.

"This _human_ is harassing us." The one Asari said it, throwing Pyjak a dirty look and she grinned before she took a step and headbutted the Asari right in the face. 

"I'm a fuckin _krogan_ , bitch!" She liked how the blue bitch wailed on the ground as she held her more than likely broken nose. She pointed at the other one. "You wanna fucking dance?"

The asari's eyes narrowed as she tried to help her friend up. "I can't believe they would allow this _filth_ into the station!" She muttered it out and Pyjak saw red. 

"That's _enough_!" The C-Sec officer grabbed her shoulder and Pyjak bared her teeth and shook him off before drawing her fist back and giving the asari's a flying haymaker right to her jaw. Her fist connected with a crack and filled her full of glee even as the officer did his best to tackle her. She shifted her weight and tossed him off with a grin. 

She spotted Tali as she squared off with the C-Sec officer calling for back up. "I'd run." She shrugged with a grin and promptly tackled the C-Sec officer.


	30. Of Criminal Pyjaks and Flirting Turians

Garrus had never been allowed near the spectre requisitions office so when Shepard met up with him and asked if he wanted to tag along, there was no way he was going to say no. Shepard had even gotten to take a look at the HMWSR X sniper rifle. It was a prototype model that only spectres were allowed to buy. It had been a beautiful rifle and he felt pretty damned blessed to even be allowed to _look_ at it.

"I swear I will save up enough money to buy some of those." Shepard said it with smile and Garrus nodded quickly.

"Hell, I'd be willing to give you my life savings if you could buy me that rifle." Not that he had much for life savings, working as an officer for C-Sec wasn't exactly prestigious and a money making adventure. He made enough to live comfortably but not enough to make a huge amount for massive savings.

"I feel you. I nearly wanted to cry putting it away." Shepard walked with him towards the main level of C-Sec to head back to the docks. "So how are you enjoying the ship?" The question surprised Garrus slightly but he flicked his mandibles in a smile.

"I like it. It's a bit different but I can work with that. Everyone is friendly enough." That was true. While some of the ground team humans like Gunnery Chief Williams and Lieutenant Alenko avoided him, Chakwas and Engineer Adams were very friendly to him. He understood it was a bit different hanging around aliens and most of those on board didn't really know what to do with him so they avoided him.

"That's good." Shepard clapped him on the shoulder as they climbed the stairs, "I noticed Jakkie is helping you with the mako more." At the words Garrus rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

"She is very proficient and it's nice to have someone with more fingers to get into those harder to reach spots." It was true but he wished it had been someone else. Being that close to her intensity was like being that close to an exploding star. He didn't really like how it made him feel but she was doing her best to be friendly with him and he couldn't blame her for what his body was doing in her presence.

"That's good, I want her to pick up some less destructive hobbies." Shepard let out a small sigh and Garrus glanced at him.

"Commander, I know it's not my place but... You and Pyjak are related and I am wondering how." He asked it slowly, waiting for a reprimand for asking something so personal but Shepard just gave another heavy sigh, a hand running through his hair.

"Believe it or not that destructive tornado is my baby sister." At the words Garrus nodded. It seemed like the rumors had actually been true in that regard. "Our colony was raided by Batarians when we were both small. She was taken and I was left. I thought she was dead until shortly after she got on the ship and the biometrics scanner alerted Chakwas that she was related to me. So it's a bit new to me but I _do_ like it." Shepard gave him a slightly crooked grin. "She's just a handful at times." At that Garrus chuckled.

"I can definitely tell." Pyjak seemed to be chaos incarnate so 'a handful' was the nicest descriptor her could think of for someone like Shepard to use. He had to keep the peace and Pyjak was very much into disturbing said peace.

They hit the main floor and there was a commotion near the elevator. "Can you stop kicking?" At the exasperated sound of Chellick’s voice, Garrus immediately looked for his coworker. He spotted him amid a small crowd of C-Sec officers, holding onto a perp's arms, trying to force them down the elevator stairs.

"I like making you work for it, Chellick." At Pyjak's voice and her head coming up, a wide grin on her face. Garrus's eyes felt like they would pop out of his skull. She was bleeding from her nose and it looked like she split her lip but she was still grinning. He hadn't expected her to get _actually_ arrested.

Shepard froze in his spot, rubbing at his face. "Please tell me that isn't Jakkie." He muttered it into his hands and Garrus didn't even know what to say as he watched the group of officers do their best to get Pyjak towards the booking area.

"This was easier when you were smaller." Chellick grunted it out as Pyjak shoved back against him, using one of the other officers as a pushing block.

“Then I don’t think I’ll say anything.” He muttered it back to Shepard who just groaned into his hands.

"Is that a C-Sec issued flashlight in your armour or are you just happy to see me, Chellick?" She glanced back at the turian with a rather brazen wink and to Garrus' ever lasting surprise Chellick flicked a mandible out into a smirk.

The other turian shook his head at her, "That is for you to _never_ find out, Urdnot Pyjak."

"Oooh, someone used my _full name_. I must have been a _really_ bad girl. Do I get a spanking?" She quirked an eyebrow, leaning back into Chellick’s hold on her arms as the turian had to visibly fight off laughter.

"Stop making me laugh and please stop kicking them." His voice went slightly hard as Pyjak had lifted her foot and kicked several officers off her. Garrus was almost impressed, there were six officers and they were all trying to help contain her and she looked more amused than contained.

Pyjak let out a yelp and kicked out to the side with her leg at another officer who had been adjusting his grip on her. "They should stop trying to cop a feel of my cake then." She made a face at the officer before turning her head to try and look at Chellick again.

"I'm not even gunna ask what that is referencing." Chellick shook her head, his mandibles flaring out in a rather amused grin.

"I'll help you out. Hint, it's my ass." Pyjak said it in a mock whisper and Garrus’ eyes widened further as she seemed to pressed her ass against his old coworker and grind into him. He fought against the squawk that jumped into his throat at that and how _blatant_ that had been.

Chellick shifted his hips out of the way with a faint grunt, "Did you _have_ to do that?" He gave her a baleful look that Pyjak utterly ignored as she chuckled. They had managed to get her closer to the booking area and closer to both Shepard and Garrus. Garrus glanced at Shepard but the commander was still rubbing at his face, refusing to look at the commotion. As far as Garrus could see, nearly _everyone_ was watching it. Her flirting was downright shameless and the fact she was doing it to Chellick, who hadn’t really been one who got hit on, was cause for _anyone_ to look.

"You're moving so slow, Chellick. I want to get to the good stuff, you know? With chains and handcuffs.” She grinned as she leaned her head back, turning to look at his coworker, her red fringe falling into her eyes slightly. “Remember my safe word is _tactical insertion_." She damn near purred the words at him and Garrus coughed in is hand, glancing away at how damn _appealing_ and no to mention _pornographic_ that damn purr was.

Chellick let out a bark of laughter that he cut off quickly. "I'll try my best to remember." He said it with his own grin in place, his shoulders shaking with amusement as they managed to get her to move several feet before she kicked off two more of the officers with a laugh as she sent them sprawling.

"If you forget, it's okay. I can handle _whatever_ you throw my way." She wiggled her eyebrows at him as she bit her lip with a small groan and Chellick just shook his head.

"I'm far too old for you, Pyjak.” He looked amused at her antics and Garrus was thankful it wasn’t him because he could almost guarantee his hide would have flushed a hot blue and he would have been a stuttering mess. Pyjak was just... she was just far too intense to have all that feral energy pointed at him.

"I like a man with experience." She purred the words at him in a lower tone that had several of the turians helping Chellick freeze and had Chellick himself letting out a rather undignified squawk of embarrassment.

" _Please_ stop." He hissed it out and she grinned at him.

"You like it." Pyjak caught sight of Garrus and her grin grew wider. "I almost forgot, Garrus Vakarian says hi." She twisted body and managed to wiggle her fingers in his direction. Garrus wanted to sink into the floor as everyone turned to look at him.

"A little warning would have been nice, Vakarian." Chellick grunted it out, managing to get her boots to skid a few more steps forward before she braced herself against him again, halting her forward momentum.

"I wanted to surprise you." Pyjak practically cooed it out and Shepard finally moved.

"Jakkie!" It came out of him rather sharp and Garrus could see the lines of tension radiating through his body as he lowered his hands and stood straighter, staring down at Pyjak.

"Hey, Johhny Boy. How are you?" She flipped her hair out of her face before she lashed out with her feet and knocked over two more officers and managed to hook her leg into the leg spur of another, taking him down to the ground as well.

"What the hell is this?" Shepard crossed his arms over his chest and Pyjak grinned at him.

"I was just doing my civic duty of educating bigoted people on reforming their ways." She said it rather innocently and Garrus blinked at her before looking between Shepard and her.

"She assaulted two asari on the Presidium Commons." Chellick stated it rather calmly, seemingly a bit relieved she was at least still for the moment.

Pyjak scowled, " _Hey_! They were insulting my friend and accusing her of stealing. I was just defending her." She set her jaw and then shoved against him again, sending him stumbling back a step. "Maybe those two should have made better life choices." She sniffed slightly, her nose in the air as Chellick and the other officer helping manged to get her stopped from her backwards momentum.

"Jakkie!" It boomed out of Shepard and it was enough to make Garrus want to stand at attention and salute. He could see several other turians doing just that. There was something about that high ranking military bark that hit that ‘do not fuck with’ button in him and he knew others.

Pyjak shrugged, "I gave them a chance to back off. They doubled down. And then the second one doubled down _twice_. So it's really _their_ fault." At the words Shepard exhaled, pinching his nose before he stood straight again.

"Go with him and stop fighting." He pointed at her, his voice sharp and she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, _mom_." But with that Pyjak stilled and held herself prim and proper, all fight gone. "Take me away, Chellick." And she started walking rather quickly to booking, a faint bounce in her steps. Chellick seemed almost shocked as she nearly dragged him behind her. He caught himself and managed to keep his hands on her arms as he caught up with her.

She was a fucking _tank_. Garrus could only imagine what she was like out on the battlefield or in a spar. He shook that thought out of his head immediately. Nope. No thinking of Pyjak sparring with _anyone_ at the moment. “I can't tell at her, Wrex will kill me. I can’t kill her, Wrex will kill me. I can’t leave her here, Wrex will kill me.” Shepard looked pained as he started pacing, muttering about how Wrex would kill him no matter what he did.

Garrus cleared his throat slightly, “We should go see what they are booking her with.” They did need to get her back on the ship and then head out. Unless Shepard was okay with letting her chill in lock up for several weeks while they finished up missions.

“Two counts of assault and more than enough resisting arrests charges, I can imagine.” Shepard ground it out and then shook his head, pressing his hands to his hips. “For fuck’s sake. She can make it really hard to be on her side.” The curse surprised Garrus but he could imagine that it was more than necessary for the Commander. There was no other way that one could quite describe this situation without using the word fuck.

Shepard paced slightly and Garrus reached up and scratched as his forehead plates sightly. She had seemed far too amused to be worried about anything. “It honestly seemed like...”

Shepard rounded on him, “She did it for fun? Yah. I could see that. _Fun_. Messing with C-Sec and getting arrested for _fun_.” His voice pitched upwards slightly and Garrus’s visor picked up on his slightly increased heart rate and breathing that he could bet was due to his stress levels.

She honestly did look like she did it for fun and she had basically all but told him and Tali that she was going to get arrested by C-Sec. However he was brought back to the conversation he had witnessed between her and Wrex when she wanted to start helping with the mako. “Maybe they are right and she needs more ground jobs. She gets destructive when bored.” _Very_ destructive.

“Who told you that?” Shepard snapped it out, his gazeintent on him and Garrus rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

“Wrex and Pyjak were talking and I kind of gleaned that from their conversation. She’s not one who does well without something to do to keep her occupied or her energy levels down.” Garrus didn’t want to compare her to a varren but there were some similarities that were there. Overly destructive when not given enough stimulation or they get bored.

“If I have to deal with _this_ every shore leave, then I will work her until all she wants to do is sleep.” Shepard looked upset at the prospect but shook his head. “We should go get her before she digs herself into a deeper hole.” He motioned for Garrus to follow him and Garrus did, noting how everyone watched the two of them head into booking.

“Chellick probably has her in room one. It’s where he usually puts his perp- I mean those in his custody.” Garrus caught himself and Shepard just shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

“Let’s just go see what I can do. I don’t know if I can pull the spectre card here.” They walked down the hall and Garrus pointed to room one and Shepard knocked before opening it.

“Come on, Chellick, these are loose!” Pyjak held her hands up, rattling the cuffs on her wrists as Chellick watched in slight amusement, trying to grab the cuffs. “How is a girl supposed to think she is going to be punished for being naughty if you don’t make them snug?” Her voice pitched upwards as she tried to move them out of his reach, Chellick just flicked out a mandible in a smirk as he he managed to snag one of them and took it off before grabbing the other one and taking it off as well. Pyjak huffed at him, “Can’t teach an old varren new tricks.” She turned her face away as he chuckled.

“As I said, too old for you, Pyjak.” At the words Chellick finally looked over at them. “I figure you are here to pick up your felon?” He gestured to Pyjak and she lifted her chin proudly. Shepard opened his mouth to speak and Chellick waved him off. “Believe it or not, the asari she assaulted are refusing to press charges. Turns out quite a few people heard their remarks and as they both work for the Governance of Interspecies Relations, it would be a bad mark on their records and for their governing body to have it be known they were openly xenophobic to a down on their luck quarian.” At the words Garrus blinked in surprise but then he was reminded of all the red tape he had always hated. He honestly hadn’t been expecting to be on the side that usually got to walk away.

“And the resisting arrest?” Shepard asked it low and Chellick let out a sigh that sounded slightly defeated.

“I started that one.” Chellick rubbed the back of his neck, looking decidedly sheepish as Pyjak grinned, using the hem of her shirt to wipe at the blood on her chin before she stood up.

“He asked me why I wasn’t resisting arrest after Tali took off. So I took that as permission to proceed to resist arrest.” She chuckled as she finished cleaning up her face. Garrus averted his eyes from her toned stomach and pale skin that had little dots across it.

“To be fair, it was a good learning exercise for me and the others. I’ll let Executor Pallin know we need to train our turian officers on how _not_ to get caught in leg twists like that.” Chellick crossed his arms over his chest and turned slightly look at her and Pyjak grinned again, putting her shirt back into place.

“What can I say? I’m flexible like that.” She threw a wink at Chellick and he just shook his head.

“That and we did bust her lip and made her nose bleed in the scuffle and we have enough on our plate without throwing in more police brutality charges onto it.” He waved his hand at her slightly and Pyjak wiped at her nose again, wincing as she felt it as it to see if it was broken.

“If she started it-”

“Just take her and go. Also keep her more occupied. She said she half did this because she was bored and that it was fun to ‘spar’ with all of us.” Chellick’s expression turned down into a frown as he looked at the commander. “I don’t want to dictate how you run your ship, Shepard, but she has _never_ caused these types of issues before when it was just Wrex and her.” The words were a clear statement of what Chellick felt and Garrus couldn’t really say anything. He had never interacted with Wrex and Pyjak before but Chellick had also be assigned to the wards and Garrus had the presidium and more bureaucratic issues.

“I hear you, loud and clear.” Shepard huffed out a breath before he looked at Pyjak. “You know I want to give you some form of punishment for this but I honestly don’t even know what to do with it. Do you have a horse shoe shoved up your ass to get out of that shit Scott free?” The words tumbled out of Shepard as his shoulders slumped slightly, in relief or what, Garrus wasn’t sure.

“Nah, I just flirt really well with the pretty boys.” She moved past Chellick, giving him another wink as she fake punched his shoulder. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her an unamused look. “Awww come on, you enjoyed it!”

Chellick scoffed, “I'm pretty sure I knew you when you were four.”

“Semantics.” Pyjak waved him off and finally reached Shepard’s side. Shepard started out the door and Garrus followed slowly behind.

“That is not how you use that word.” Chellick called it out and Pyjak waved him off.

“I don’t care. You should hit me up at Chora’s next time I’m around. I’ll start a bar fight just for you.” At the words Shepard let out a groan and moved faster. Garrus had to agree with that feeling. In the end he did have to come back here and work with everyone again.

“Please don’t.” Chellick let out a grimace as Garrus hit the doorway and stepped out, holding the door for Pyjak. Garrus watched as she turned around walking backwards as she looked at Chellick, her hands in her pockets. “But... if you’re interested. I’ll show you an _actual_ turian spar.” Chellick’s eyes flicked up and down her and he lifted his chin slightly and Garrus did a double take at the blatant invitation he just gave and Pyjak gave a wider grin.

“Tsk, tsk. Don’t tease a girl like that.” Pyjak said it low and Chellick just flicked his mandibles out into a smirk and shrugged. He completely ignored Garrus and Garrus blinked rapidly, not knowing what to say as not only did the implications of that hit him, but a bit of possessiveness flood him at the thought of the two of them.

That was no good.

Garrus let the door go as soon as Pyjak walked through it, practically swaggering as she moved away, her hips swaying in a way that made him blink and want to look longer.

Not good at all.


	31. Of Gift Giving and Galaxy's Best Dads

Pyjak walked towards the elevator, a faint grin on her face. Her face _did_ hurt but she hadn't had that good of a time blowing off steam in weeks. She had really needed it, to be perfectly honest. She had felt wound up for weeks, so being able to toss around some C-Sec and work some of that excess off was nice. Hell and the flirting had been nice as well.

She had vaguely remembered Chellick from her and Wrex's run ins with the officers in the wards but it was far and few in-between. She understood that he was quite a bit older than her and perhaps not exactly what attractive was considered when it came to turians but it had been fun. She liked a guy who could stand his own against her verbally. Granted she also liked when she could make a guy sputter and blush kind of like Vakarian sputtered at her when she made an offhand comment he wasn't expecting. 

However Chellick hadn't been telling her explicitly no and if Garrus didn't pick up on her not so subtle hints she knew that it was good to have a small back up plan in place in case she really needed to blow off steam. She watched Shepard as he called the elevator and she fought back a grin. She could taste blood in her mouth and hanging around the back of her throat and her nose ached like a bitch but she didn't care. It had felt good to brawl. 

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I got you a present?" She asked it lightly as she came to a stop beside him. He didn't look at her but she knew she has caught his attention. 

"A present..." He sounded skeptical and she didn't blame him but she still grinned a touch wider at it. "It's not a bomb, is it?" There was a touch of wary hesitation to his voice that made her want to laugh. 

"That's more something I would get pops." Which was objectively true. She had once gifted him a basket of various types of grenades and he had utterly adored it. Talked about it for weeks afterwards. 

The elevator opened and Shepard glanced at her as they entered it. "Then what is it?" He said it carefully and she shook her head. 

"I'm not gunna tell you." Having him so wary and concerned was fun. She wasn't going to end the fun so soon. 

"Jakkie." It was drug out low and like a warning but it just made her bounce on her feet slightly with amusement. 

"What? And ruin the surprise? I don't think so." She threw a smirk at him and Shepard shook his head, a frown growing on his face.

There was a heavy silence that fell as the elevator went upwards and Pyjak felt her nose against slightly. It wasn't broken, she knew that much but it still ached. Her bottom lip stung as well and she prodded at it with her tongue. 

"Also tactical insertion, Jakkie? Our of everything, you chose _tactical insertion_?" The words burst out of Shepard with a heavy mix of exasperation and Pyjak burst into cackles, feeling weak in the knees as she laughed. Oh dear Kalros that was hilarious. She had wanted to get a reaction from Chellick by saying it but she was more than happy to get a slightly delayed reaction from Shepard. "Also please stop _brawling_ with C-Sec." That came out a bit sharper and she stifled her giggles. 

"Then get me some mats so I can spare with some people. Or better yet, stop getting fussy when pops and I wrestle." He always turned into a fussy old lady whenever she and Wrex decided to wrestle to get out some excess energy. 

"You and Wrex _brawl_ , not spar nor wrestle." He gave her a look and she shook her head. 

"Fact remains. I get bored and I get restless and I have to work out the energy _somehow_. C-Sec was there and put their hands on me. I saw an opportunity and I took it." She had been getting restless and bored. The little missions helped here or there but it wasn't enough to work out her restless energy. There was always something going on with Kalros, always _something_ to do. Plus the Normandy was just so big and empty and it made everything seem to take _forever_. 

"I'll up your missions but please try not to rile up C-Sec like that." Shepard sounded exasperated as he said it and she gave a non-commital shrug at that as the doors to the elevator finally opened up to the docks. 

"Keelah, Jakkie!" Tali rushed forward and gave her a hug. "I thought you would be arrested!" She sounded so relieved and Pyjak patted her back, her eyebrows raised 

"She was. She's damned lucky that she was able to get out of it without any charges." Shepard threw her a dark look and she shrugged before taking her bag from Tali.

"I just flirt really good, that's all." At the words she noticed Garrus looking at her and she winked at him. "Big guy knows what I'm talking about." At the words she watched as his eyes went wide and he sputtered slightly, mandibles fluttering. 

"I don't!" He damn near squawked it out and Pyjak grinned at him before she reached over and shoved at his shoulder. 

"I'm kidding, big guy." She turned back to Tali before digging into her bag and pulling out the volus plushy she had bought for her. "I got you this. It's cute and I thought you would like it."

Tali stared at her for a long moment before she let out a nearly deafening squeal. "It's so cute!!" She took the plushy and held it out as she gave a little dance. "I didn't know they made these!! It's so adorable!" She hastily gave Pyjak a hug before hugging the plushy to her chest. "Thank you!" The quarian really seemed to like it and Pyjak smiled at her, happy she has been correct in her assumption that Tali would enjoy the little round plushy. 

Pyjak noticed both Shepard and Garrus were staring at her and her cheeks flushed slightly. " _What_?" She turned away from them sharply and headed for the Normandy. She didn't want to have to deal with the questions that would follow and she knew Shepard would bring it up again. 

She didn't wait as she hastily made her way into the decontamination chamber and was happy that she was the only one inside as it started up. She didn't want to have to deal with Shepard poking fun at her for giving the gift to Tali. She knew she was a bit rough around the edges but she did like giving gifts to people she believed were here friends.

The ship door opened and she walked in, "You remember to get me anything nice?" At Joker's voice Pyjak grinned and then headed for the cockpit as she dug into her bag. She pulled out the sexy hanar bobble toy and showed Joker. "Oh my god..." He blinked at it for a few moments before he slowly took it from her. "She's beautiful!" He grinned at her and she returned it before pointing at the bobble toy, noticing a certain feature.

"He. It's got that spare tentacle." She pointed it out, trying hard not to burst into laughter as Joker slowly looked it over. 

" _He's_ beautiful!" Joker pulled it to his chest before whirling around in his chair and tucking the bobble toy up on the dash. "Perfect! He's _perfect_!"

"Watch this." Pyjak moved closer and reached out before tapping the top of the bobble bead, causing it to shake it's painted lingerie covered ass. "He shakes his ass." 

Joker gasped as he turned the toy so that the ass end was pointed at him. "They even gave him a bubble butt! This is amazing! I love it!" He laughed as he made it shake it's ass again and Pyjak chuckled at the reaction. She knew he would like it. 

She heard the airlock door open and turned, digging around in her bag. She pulled out the model as Shepard, Tali, and Garrus walked in. "Shepard, catch!" She called it out and his head snapped towards her and she lobbed the model at him. He caught it out of midair with a small yelp of surprise. Pyjak walked closer and leaned towards him and he looked at it with a growing smile. "Enjoy it. It's boring. Like _you_." She emphasised the word as she walked by and did her best to saunter away. 

There was very little time before Shepard came up behind her and pulled her into a rather tight hug, managing to lift her off her feet with a strained grunt before he let her go. "Thanks, Jakkie! I didn't realize you noticed I liked ship models." He looked so earnest that she felt her cheek flush and she felt a bit flustered.

She ran her hand through her hair with a bit if embarrassment. "It was nothing." She muttered it out and he just shook his head and gave her another hug. 

"It's not. It really isn't." He said the words low as he let her go. "I'm gunna go put this in my cabin." He lifted the box and grinned at her. She smiled back at him and he walked off. 

"That was really nice. You are in a giving mood today." Tali said it softly and Pyjak grimaced, ignoring how her cheeks went more red. 

"It's just some stuff. I'm not all hardass. I like giving gifts." She muttered it out as she headed for the stairs. It really wasn't a big deal. It really _really_ wasn't. She wished they wouldn't make it out to be one. 

She ignored everyone as she went straight down the stairs. She spotted Liara at the mess and pulled out the rather thick fact book about ancient earth societies she spotted in the gift shop. "Liara! Catch!" The doctor whirled around from where she was talking to Chakwas and Pyjak gently tossed the book at her. She caught it with a gasp of surprise and Pyjak made a hasty retreat towards the elevator. It didn't take her long to reach the cargo hold.

Once there she dug into her bag and pulled out the sticker. She made her way to Wrex with a bounce in her step. "I got you a present, pops!" She sang it out and he grunted but turned to look at her all the same.

"What is it?" He looked at her carefully and she grinned wide. "Also you look like you got busted in the face." His eyes scanned her face and she nodded. He scoffed slightly, "Figures. You can't keep our of trouble. Now what is it?"

She held up the sticker and grinned at him wider. "It's beautiful!" She chortled as his eyes narrowed, looking at the rather colourful sticker.

"I should have expected this." He grumbled it out but took the sticker from her hands. To her surprise he pulled out his beloved shotgun and pulled the sticker backing off and slapped it on the side with a low and growled chuckle. "Now they can get their skills crushed by the Galaxy's Best Dad." He gave her a toothy grin and Pyjak laughed before she launched at him, hugging him tight around his thick neck.

"You really _are_ the best." She let him go quickly before grinning at him. He knocked his forehead into her affectionately in return. With that she she made her way to bubble gum princess and fought down a grin at how she was going to react. She dug the Black Cover Award issue of Fornax out of the bag as she marched over to her. "A present for you!"

Ashley looked surprised and raised an eyebrow. "You got me a present?" 

"Absolutely I did." She said it with the most sincerity she could muster. "Here." She handed her the magazine and bubble gum princess took it with a slightly happy look. 

"Thank you. What is it?" She looked at it before opening it and Pyjak watched in glee as the bubble gum princess looked at the coveted Black Cover Award winning Turian Fornax edition with ultra high definition photos and 3D models of giant turian cocks. Her face went several shades of red, white, grey, and green all at once, her eyes nearly popping out of her head as she gave a rather inhuman sounding squawk as she slammed the Fornax closed. "What is _wrong_ with you?!" She narrowed her eyes to slits as Pyjak cackled, nearly hitting the floor as she laughed hard at the look on the woman's face. 

Bubble gum princess rolled up the magazine and smacked her with it, cursing her out heavily as Pyjak howled with laughter. She was just trying to broaden her horizons a little bit.


	32. Of Easy Missions and Modded Vipers

Garrus ducked behind a stone wall with a curse. "I thought you said this would be an easy mission, Shepard!" He called it out before he lifted his trusty Hammer sniper rifle and picked off another geth.

"It was supposed to be!" Shepard sounded aggravated and Garrus didn't blame him. It was _supposed_ to be a simple mission to check out geth and now they had to rescue a bunch of people and figure out what the fuck was going on with the thorian was and why Exo-Geni Corp were studying it, and just why they were using the colonists as test subjects to its mind control powers. Which was not something Garrus approved of all all.

"You two are whining like little hatchlings." Pyjak's voice came through the head comm and Garrus looked through his visor and caught her readings off to the left, sneaking behind the geth and krogan that were in the room. "This is _fun_." At the words Garrus flicked out a mandible and took down another geth that was moving too close to her position 

"Jakkie, you fall back in line!" Shepard must have spotted her and Garrus ducked down as a geth sniper caught sight of him and started shooting. 

"Tactical advantage, Shepard. Let her do it " Garrus understood what she was doing, flanking the group was a very viable option at the moment as Shepard and him were essentially pinned. "It will draw some fire so we can move up." They needed to get their backs away from the wall and actually gain ground and it seemed like Pyjak was willing to give them that chance. 

"Screw helping you guys, I'm doing this for the hell of it." Pyjak laughed and Garrus peeked over the cover he was using. He spotted her sneaking up behind a group of geth before she attacked. He quickly brought up his rifle and gave her cover fire but he only managed to get a few geth as she utterly decimated the geth she was near. Garrus felt that rather unwelcome warmth crawl under his plates as he watched her move through the scope. She handled her rifle with ease and grace and threw herself into battle without question or hesitation.

He could honestly see why the attraction was there. She was a full blown predator with how she acted and moved and her intensity called to the predator inside of him. He could almost bet that more than one turian found her attractive, especially with her hard cut figure. He wasn't one to judge others on who they bedded and he wouldn't but he didn't know how to handle his own slight attraction to her. Humans and turians couldn't get along at the best of times and he knew turian human affairs were seen as deviant. He might have been a bit more loose with the rules and hated red tape but some things were just... They were off limits. 

However it didn't stop him from watching her as she moved. She was quick on her feet and he flicked out on of his mandibles as she pinched a geth in the light and then unloaded several rounds straight into its, chest. "Gunna shoot something, Vakarian?" At her rather amused voice the hide of his neck warmed up slightly and he blinked as he swung his rifle and took down a further geth.

"You seem to have it well in hand. Besides I don't think I would hear the end of it if I did steal a kill. You gave Shepard more than enough grief." He said it quickly and he could hear Pyjak give a sound of frustration through the comms as she shot at a geth Hunter.

"It was _clearly_ my kill!" She managed to freeze it and Garrus took several shots at the krogan that was running down the room to slow it down.

"You weren't even close to that Geth Hunter, Jakkie. You can't call a kill halfway across the battlefield." Shepard's tone was slightly exasperated and he was thankful that they were now bickering rather than having Pyjak look too much into him watching her through the scope.

"Says _you_." She scoffed slightly before she stomped on the Hunter several times, shattering its head. His forehead plates shifted as he watched the rather violent action. She had a heavy fucking foot to do that much damage with a few stomps, she wasn't afraid to show her strength and Garrus wondered what it would be like to take her on in a spar. He felt that heat curl around his gut and he blinked, looking away quickly, burying the thought deep in the back of his mind. No way was he going to get into that at the moment. 

There was a bit of silence as they all fell into the battle, clearing out the large room where the geth ship was attached. After what seemed like an hour Shepard stopped, breathing hard. "I think we got them all." He lifted his assault rifle and shifted his position as Garrus finally stood up, his knees cracking slightly as he did so. 

"You mean _I_ got them all." Pyjak sauntered towards the Commander, pulling off her helmet with a wide grin on her face. 

Garrus made his way over to them and heard Shepard make a noise in the back of his throat. "No one is counting, Jakkie." He pulled off his own helmet, tucking it underneath his arm as they regrouped, looking at the ship's anchor lodged through the doors 

Pyjak rolled her eyes, "I've killed like forty of them while you were _napping_ , old man." 

"Thirty-six." Garrus checked his rifle, not liking how it was working for him at the moment. That and he didn't want to look at her and have to bury everything in the back of his mind again.

"Pardon me, Vakarian?" Her voice went up in a tone that said 'you better back up before I make you',

Garrus let himself glance at her, "You've tagged thirty-six. I'm at thirty-four and Shepard is at an even thirty." He had a kill tracker mod on his visor and besides he liked to keep track for bragging rights when it came to bar room stories. Beating out Commander Shepard in kill count was _very_ good bragging rights.

"Of _course_ you would keep track. But I should be higher." Shepard said it, his eyes narrowed slightly. 

"My visor says otherwise." Garrus tapped the side of it as he shifted his rifle in his arms. 

Shepard actually rolled his eyes with a sound of disgust. "Some of those geth _had_ to have counted as double." There was the resemblance to Pyjak that had been missing previously. They both had a similar petulance, not that Garrus felt comfortable enough to point it out 

"Single kill numbers only. You drop a Colossus and it still only counts as one." Garrus shrugged as he said it, his mandibles flicking out in amusement. Shepard shook his head, muttering underneath his breath slightly and that made Garrus flick his mandibles out into a smile more. He could _definitely_ see the family resemblance now. 

"We should knock this bitch down." Pyjak jerked her chin at the anchor for the geth ship and Shepard turned to look at it. 

He gave a heavy frown and stared at it. "We can't get the Normandy to shoot it down. I don't know how we can unhook it." He moved towards it, seeming to look it over and Garrus followed suit. He moved around it, trying to see just how it attached to the sky high building. 

"These are bay doors. We can shear it off, let the bitch drop." Pyjak pointed to the opening and Garrus looked at it and weighted the chances of it working. 

"Most bay doors had pressure thresholds in their systems. We can't get it up high enough to get enough force to shear through the anchor arms." The tower was prothean and there were still safety features. The protheans weren't a huge empire by neglecting hydraulic pressure safety features. 

"Do you _have_ to step on my quad like that, Vakarian?" Pyjak threw him a baleful look and Garrus rubbed at the back of his neck, not sure how to respond that that without her throwing a punch and that would _not_ end well for him trying to bury that attraction deep enough he wouldn't have to think about it. "Just open and close it several times and maybe we can jostle it loose." Pyjak turned to Shepard and gestured with her hand and Shepard gave a small shrug. 

"Could try it. I mean we don't have enough fire power to cut through the anchor ourselves and we can't risk dropping the tower on the colonists." He headed for the door controls and Pyjak followed. Garrus moved towards it as well, he wasn't sure how well it would work but Shepard was right, they had a limited amount of options at the moment.

Pyjak reached for the controls and Shepard threw her a look that had her rolling her eyes. "There's a red flashing warning in the corner. I wanted to check it out." She lifted her chin with a sniff, ignoring how Shepard glared at her. He pulled up the interface and Pyjak had indeed been right and there was a warning indicator in the corner. Shepard clicked on it and Garrus's eyes widened and Pyjak let out a cackle. "Squeezed my quad a little too soon, eh Vakarian?" She shoved at him rather playfully and Garrus shook his head as he looked away from the hydraulic pressure warning that warned that the pressure safeties had failed. 

"I'll take it. However it works." Shepard said it quickly and flicked several switches before he pressed the button to close the door. There was a groan and then the crunching of metal and they watched as the doors sheared through the anchors, slamming closed. There was more metal screeching and the sound of metal tearing as the geth ship fell from the building. "We should get back to Lizbeth and get some answers on what the fuck is this thorian and why the hell Saren wanted it."

There was a pause before their comms crackled. "Normandy to ground team! Do you read?" Joker sounded frantic and Shepard immediately shifted, his bearing becoming serious and stiff.

"We are here, Joker! What's wrong?" He started to pace slightly and Garrus felt his gut clench slightly. Something was off. 

"The colonists have gone crazy. They're attacking the hull. I've been trying to hail you for half an hour, what the fuck happened?" The pilot sounded agitated but Garrus could understand that. What was going on was crazy enough and to lose contact with the ground team and Commander Shepard? Garrus could understand the slight agitation 

"Hold them off but don't hurt them. We are coming back!" Shepard paced a bit more and the comms crackled slightly.

"You do that but you have a shit ton of geth heading your way. So be careful." Joker said it quickly and a little bit harshly but Garrus didn't hold it against he pilot. However at the words, Shepard gestured to them and they quickly made their way out of the building and back to where they had been locked out and where they had left Lizbeth Baynham. Once they found her again Shepard tore into her on just what they were doing with the thorian, she apologized profusely but Shepard wasn't having any of it and Garrus was glad because what they were doing was enough to make Garrus grind his teeth. They were using the colonists as experiments without their consent. It was horrible and reminded Garrus too much about an old case on the Citadel he had investigated.

However, despite how upset he was at the thought, Shepard did take Lizbeth at her word that she had been suspended from the project because of her vocal dislike for it and the fact she got trapped because she was trying to send out a distress call for help. After that they fought their way down the skyway and back to the weight station where Julianna sent out a distress call before Ethan Jeong cut her off. They made it close and Lizbeth ran out of the mako and Shepard followed her, cursing the entire time.

Garrus glanced at Pyjak and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Shit sure is fun!" With that she was out of the mako and Garrus cursed but followed after her. They came down the ramp into a full standoff between the Exo-Geni scientists. Julianna was in a standoff with Ethan and Garrus pulled out his rifle as the man shouted about Exo-Geni's reputation and how they would be ruined. He noticed Pyjak was pointing her own rifle at the man, a scowl entrenched on her face. 

Shepard did his best to talk to man down and to put his pistol away but it wasn't working and then Pyjak surged forward. "You put that fucking gun down before I bash your face in and then piss on your fucking corpse. Do it _now_!" She barked it out so strongly and loudly that Garrus was instantly at attention, as if a superior officer had issues a harsh command. Ethan sputtered and Pyjak lifted his chin with the barrel of her rifle. "You've got two seconds to drop it before this floor gets a new paint job with your fucking brains." She hissed the words out and Garrus grabbed Shepard's arm when he went to step forward. He didn't think anything good would come of startling Pyjak at the moment. 

Ethan dropped the gun and Pyjak slowly lowered hers a heavy scowl on her face before she head butted him hard. He hit the ground with a shout of pain, holding his face. "That's for the colonists, you piece of corporate shit." She spat on him and Garrus let Shepard go so he could pull her back 

"I can't say I disagree with her, Ethan. Your reputation as a company isn't worth the lives lost or the colonists you have been experimenting on. It really isn't and never was." Shepard crouched in front of him, "Want to protect your reputation? Take care of the colonists, _properly_ , and turn it into an actual colony and stop doing unethical experiments on non-consenting people." He stood up and Garrus lowered his weapon slowly as the Commander talked to Julianna and then a few others. 

Garrus watched them and Pyjak moved to stand beside him. She tilted her head before leaning closer. "Shit's fun, isn't it?" She grinned up at him and his heart thumped hard in his chest. He bit off an internal groan at it. He didn't need to react to her like that, he really really didn't. 

"Don't know how you never have a headache after slamming you head into someone's face." Garrus said it casually and she grinned at him. 

"I'm krogan, that's why." She gave a small chuckle at that and Garrus shifted his weight in his feet as I glanced at Ethan. Julianna was checking his nose, scolding him in low tones as she did so.

Shepard made his way over and held out a pack. "Updated grenades that will stun the colonists without killing them. I don't want to hurt them so we will use these and _not_ be using our rifles." There was heavy emphasis on the word not and Garrus nodded, reaching in and taking some. 

"Roger that and if we run out I can headbutt some of them into submission." Pyjak grinned as she grabbed some herself 

"I said no hurting them and that would probably fracture their skulls." Shepard threw her a look and Pyjak just grinned back at him. It was like she knew exactly what to say to get a little underneath Shepard's skin and for a moment Garrus was reminded of Solana bugging him like that and his mandible flicked out in amusement. "Let's head out. I want to make sure we put down this thorian and put it down hard. The colonists deserve to live free from it messing with their heads." At the words Garrus gave a quick nod before they all walked back to the mako. 

From there it was a fight to get over the rest of the skyway and back to the elevator. They approached the closed doors and there were crouched figures in front of it a d Garrus let out a nervous cough. "Don't like the look of those." He didn't. They were dark green and shaped like humans but they were just _wrong_.

Shepard made a sound of acknowledgement as he pulled the mako to a stop. "Still have to get in though." He muttered it out but he didn't move and neither did Garrus. 

Pyjak made a sound of disgust before she moved to the turret. "Big babies." She opened fire and Garrus watched as the ones she hit exploded into green and brown goo. "Hahaha _nice_." Pyjak chortled and Garrus made a face as she exploded the rest. 

"That's disgusting." Garrus said it, making a face. He glanced at Shepard and he was making an equally disgusted face. 

"Who cares, you big babies. Let's get going! We've got a colony to save." Pyjak emerged from the turret and grabbed her helmet, Garrus watched her over his shoulder as she jammed it on her head and pulled out her rifle. "Let's go!" She made a sweeping gesture and Garrus found himself following the order, getting out of his seat. He was vaguely aware that Shepard was following as Pyjak opened the Mako's door and jumped out. 

He put his own helmet on and pulled out his Hammer sniper rifle as he followed her. He was a little concerned about his Hammer though. It wasn't exactly firing how it should have been but he was the most proficient at long range and it was the only rifle he had. He got out of the borrowed mako and Shepard followed. They made their way inside and were confronted by more of the creepy humanoid creatures that Pyjak seemed to have a delightful time shooting. They were also confronted by three colonists that were taken care of by a well placed throw of one of the updated grenades. 

Shepard checked their pulses and nodded, confirming that they were simply passed out and not dead. From there they fought their way to the elevator and then rode it down before fighting through more of the creatures and knocking out another two colonists before finally making it to Zhu's Hope. The colonists were screeching, shooting at them and they carefully lobbed grenades at them, taking them out as the moved, shooting more and more of the green, exploding creatures. 

"We need to figure out where the entrance to the thorian is." Shepard called it out as the continued to disable the colonists with the grenades and take out the mindless husk type creatures.

Garrus shot one from across the battlefield and grimaced as it exploded, splattering against a colonist who didn't even seem to notice. "What the hell are these things?" He called it out as he took another one down, his rifle pausing slightly before it disengaged the heat sink. That wasn't good.

"I'm calling them creepers. Cause they're fucking _creepy_." Pyjak called it out and Garrus laughed slightly. That was a very apt name and he figured it worked well. 

"Creepers work." He took out another one, worried slightly about his rifle as it let out a faint whine, before lobbing a grenade and knocking out two colonists further on the battlefield. They pressed onwards until they finally had all the creepers killed and the colonists disabled. They scoured the colony until Shepard found a crane that was attached to one of the pods. 

"Bet this is it." He waved them over and both Garrus and Pyjak made their way towards him. He quickly activated the crane and the pod lifted, showing a rather large opening heading down. He nodded and gestured them forward and they moved to head down into the thorian's lair.

Shepard took the first step and the sound of footsteps had Garrus whirling around, lifting his rifle. Fai Dan stumbled over, a pistol in his hand. "It wants me to kill you." His voice was a pained rasp as he winced. "We must protect it and it wants us to kill you." He looked strained and in pain and Shepard held up his hands.

"It's okay." He said it carefully and Fai Dan winced, clutching his head.

"It hurts, it hurts! I can't- I can't handle it!" He yelled it out and lifted his pistol, pointing it right at his head. "Free us." He closed his eyes right before there was a bang and one of the gas grenades exploded at his feet, knocking him back and out completely. 

Garrus and Shepard both snapped their heads to Pyjak who looked between the two of them. "What? You said keep _all_ the colonists alive." She stuck her tongue out at Shepard and then winked at him. Garrus' heart jumped in his chest at the sight and he cursed himself internally. There were some lines that weren't supposed to be crossed and doing anything with Pyjak was far beyond crossing the line. He could only imagine how his family would react, he was having troubles with his father as it was. 

"Well it worked. So I can't complain." Shepard let out a small sigh before gesturing for them to enter the thorian's lair. They followed him silently, keeping on guard as they slowly moved down the dark stair well. Garrus was glad there was something else occupying his mind other than Pyjak. He _really_ didn't want to think about the attraction he had to her. So throwing himself into a fire fight seemed a good distraction. 

It wasn't too long before they came up to a large group of creepers. Pyjak and Shepard surged forward and he held back, sniping off the creepers when he could. He cursed as his rifle was _not_ shooting how it should have been. He didn't like that and he just hoped it held out to get the job done. They came to a large round room and froze at the huge pulsating mass that could be nothing but the thorian.

"What in the horror fucking movies is _that_?" Pyjak breathed it out, holding her rifle up, keeping it trained on the mass. 

"I think that's the thorian." Garrus muttered it out but held his rifle up as well. That thing was massive and creepy. 

A bulb on the wall pulsates and a _green_ asari fell out. She stood up and faced them. "Who dares enters our lair?" She spat the words out and Shepard stepped forward.

"We are just coming to see what Saren wanted with this place and the thorian." He held out his hands and the arasi sneered.

"Saren, the _liar!"_ The Asari looked extremely agitated and Garrus tightened his grip on the rifle, watching her carefully. "We gain knowledge from those above us, we gained the knowledge of the protheans of the Cipher. Saren wanted it and then attacked us after we gave him the Cipher to prevent you from gaining it to decode the vision from the beacon. His lied to us! He promised that we could be safe and that he would leave us alone if we gave him what he wanted." She seemed to get even more agitated and Garrus was aware that Pyjak was shifting her weight on her feet, moving to a more defensive stance. 

"He attacked us. We will not listen to anymore meat bags like you. You all lie!" With that she brought up her biotics and threw them. Pyjak immediately opened fire and they fought for a few moments before she fell backwards into the pit below the hanging thorian.

"Well fuck. Saren's turning out to be a _major_ pain in the ass." Pyjak said it as she shouldered her rifle and Shepard nodded. 

"He is but we need to take the thorian down." He glanced around before pointing at several glowing and pulsating bits hanging off the walls. "I think if we shoot those we can drop it down and kill it." Garrus nodded and adjusted his grip on his rifle.

With that they pushed further into the lair, fighting more creepers and strangely, more of the same green Asari who threw biotics at them. They fought through, dropping several connections the thorian had on the walls. Everything was going well until Garrus triggered a pack of creepers that managed to get him back into a corner where his Hammer gave up entirely, beeping at him as it smoked slightly. 

"Fuck!" He used the butt of it to knock a creeper back and his heart rate spiked as he tried to figure a way out because he didn't have time to switch it out for any other weapon. His visor flashed an enemy proximity warning when there was the familiar rapid fire of a rifle and Pyjak came from the left and took out the group rather easily. 

"Call for help next time." She bumped her shoulder against his and he hastily tried to get his rifle back to working but it wasn't working. "Rifle down?" She took out several creepers that were trying to come at him and he nodded.

"Yes." He vented it and the hot steam nearly burned him even through the glove. " _Fuck_! hoped it would hold until we finished." He hadn't wanted to deal with a downed rifle in the middle of a battlefield. 

"Here." With one hand she yanked a rifle from her own back and slapped it onto his before twisting, showing her back, "Put it on the mag-lock, I'll cover you." Garrus did so, setting his Hammer onto her mag-lock before grabbing the sniper she gave him. It was sleek and black and engaged smoothly in his hands. It was heavy in his grip, substantial, and Pyjak fired off her rifle as Shepard gave a heavy curse.

"Need a little help over here!" His voice came over the comms as he gave a grunt.

"Don't pet it, Garrus. Fire it!" Pyjak pushed forward, punching a creeper in the face as she rushed for Shepard, who had disappeared into the next room. Garrus' heart rate was spiked and it was damn near all he could hear as he ran to help. He lifted the sniper and fire it. The recoil was harsher than he thought but the weapon took out the green Asari that was harassing Shepard. "Fuck you! That was _my_ kill!" Pyjak said it with a bit of petulance, turning her helmet to more than likely glower at him. 

"Heads up!" Shepard called it and Garrus found himself grinning as the rifle fairly danced in his hands. It fired perfectly and he was pretty sure it had an ammo piercing mod on it. He wasn't sure how Pyjak would have made it but he was tearing through the biotic shields far too easily for there not to be _something_ in it. 

They finally dropped the last of the anchors and the thorian crashed downwards, letting out a slightly terrifying screech on the way down. A bulb on the wall opened up and a regular Asari fell out. They all immediately trained their guns on her but she merely swayed, looking more confused than anything else as she looked at them.

"My name is Shiala, I served Matriarch Benezia." She said it carefully and Garrus kept a tight hold on Pyjak's rifle, not entirely trusting of the Asari. 

"What were you doing in the plant?" Shepard asked it rather clipped and Garrus didn't blame him clones of this Asari had been attacking them literally a minute ago. There was no easy way to trust her. 

"Saren found out about the thorian, about how it could absorb knowledge and he wanted the Cipher. He brought us here and then traded me to it for the knowledge. I did not know of this and was taken against my will." She held out her hands and her eyes teared up. "I served my matriarch well but I was repaid with betrayal. Saren gave me to the thorian so he could understand the vision from the Eden Prime beacon but then he attacked the thorian so you couldn't get the Cipher. He does not want you finding the Conduit." She said everything carefully, shaking slightly. "I will take whatever punishment you require of me but I have the Cipher and I will give it to you so you can stop him and his ship." 

There were a tense few moments before Shepard nodded and stepped forward. Shiala grasped his head in her hands, her eyes turning dark. "Brace eternity." They both froze before they broke apart. Shepard swayed on his feet, nearly hitting the ground and Shiala winced, rubbing her head. "I shall take my punishment, whatever you choose." She said it softly and Shepard shook his head. 

"Stay with Zhu's Hope. Help them recover and we will call it even." He shook his head slightly, as if trying to shake away dizziness.

Pyjak grabbed his arm, holding him steady. "You heard Johnny Boy. Help them out. So move it." She pointed towards the long walk up and Shiala nodded, hurrying away as thanking Shepard profusely then entire time until she was out of sight. "You alright there, my dude?" Pyjak looked at Shepard and he nodded slowly. 

"Just a little dizzy. We should head out and get back to the ship." He lifted his hand and pressed the comm button. "Joker, get ready. We are leaving as soon as we get back up to the surface." Joker gave his affirmative and Shepard moved away from Pyjak and started the long trek out. 

Garrus fell into step beside Pyjak before he held out the rifle to her, feeling a bit reluctant. "Thanks for letting me use it. She's a beautiful weapon."

Pyjak glanced at it before looking up at him. "Keep it. She's an older model and I want to mod a newer one. Sides you need one until you figure out what's wrong with your old one." With that she pulled his rifle off her mag-lock and put it back on his with a grin. "Have fun dancing with her, big guy!" She winked at him and then jogged to catch up to Shepard.

Garrus stopped in his tracks, looking at her with disbelief. He swallowed hard as he looked down at the gun. Well didn't that just make everything that much more difficult for him?


	33. Of Unwanted Attention and Gratitude

Pyjak had actually enjoyed the chaos of the Feros mission. Shepard had not and had paced even after they had finished talking to the Council. Then he had to go lay down after 'embracing eternity' with Liara. Shepard had nudged Wrex and whispered to him that Shepard was two for two on the embracing eternity for the day and that it was hilarious the Council was paying him to have defacto public sex with the blue aliens. 

Which had caused him to bark out a heavy laugh and give her a toothy grin. After that he had asked for a rough rundown of the mission as they made their way to the cargo bay and she told him everything she remembered about it. He had especially liked how she handled Ethan, although he stated she should have blown his head off and been done with it. She had agreed but then mentioned that Shepard would whine at her for it so it just wasn't worth it to listen to him whine. He had agreed with that, if a bit grudgingly.

She had even roped Garrus into the convo for a few moments when she had demanded he tell Wrex their kill tallies. He had seemed a bit shocked to have her call out to him across the cargo bay but he had called out their totals in return. She had ended up with an even 74 and Garrus and Shepard had tied with a 72. Which Wrex had thumped her on the back for. She had to admit it was rather great bragging rights all around to beat the infamous Commander Shepard on the battlefield. After that, Wrex told her that he wanted to ask Shepard if they could head out and find his grandfather's armour and Pyjak had told him it was a great idea. He needed some type of hobby, even if it was finding lost things and bashing someone over the head with his 'Galaxy's Best Dad' shotgun. 

However once she was done chatting with her pops she had once again found herself up in the mess hall, taking over an entire table with her modding pieces and guns. Although she was drafting a modding blueprint from what her and Tali had already thought up. She wanted to make the base and she needed to figure out the best place for the mod to sit. She was yanking apart her spare weapons trying to see where the best place to put an injection system was. She couldn't rely on her previous modding schematics because they relied on programming rather than actual injections into the heat sink. 

"You look busy." At Kaiden's voice Pyjak bit back a nasty retort that would have started with 'fuck' and ended with 'off'. He hadn't ever stopped really staring at her or watching her and it was starting to get old. Not that she had ever really tolerated it before. 

"I am." She gritted it out as she carefully looked over the pistol she had pulled apart, studying the various parts and ports that were already on there. It was always easier to base a mod on an existing piece, that way you didn't need to adjust the entire gun in order to get it back together. 

He sat down beside her and she grimaced heavily at that. He honestly seemed like one of those guys who saw waaaay too much into a friendly gesture. "Thank you for modding my rifle. It's been handy having increased damage." He picked up the pistol firing mechanism and Pyjak didn't even hesitate as she slapped his hand.

He yelped at that, dropping the part. "Don't touch! Everything has a place." She barely looked at him and he chuckled, rubbing the back of his hand. 

"You would think I would know better. I hate it when people touch my monitors so it would make sense you would hate it when someone touches your things." He was chatty, she didn't particularly like chatty people. "So how was Feros?" He asked it in a rather conversational tone and she resisted the urge to sneer and tell him to fuck off. 

"It was a job. We got done what we needed to and saved the colony. If you want to know more ask Shepard or Vakarian. I only pay attention to things that I need to shoot." Which was a bald faced lie but she wasn't about to tell him that. She just didn't want him bothering her at the moment, or _ever_ , but currently she was trying to work through a modding issue and that was really not working out all that great for him because if he continued she would headbutt him. 

"You know you are a really intense person. Some might find it off putting but it's interesting." At the words she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to remember that Shepard wanted her to give people at least a chance to back away before she slammed her head into their face. 

"Alenko." Shepard called it out and the guy beside her immediately stood up and snapped out a salute. "We have a mission to clear out some pirates. I want you and Wrex with me." At the words Pyjak's shoulders relaxed slightly as Kaiden hurried to the locker. 

"Thank you, Shepard." She glanced at her brother and he gave her a wry grin. 

"I wanted to take Williams but I could see that headbutt twinkle in your eyes." He walked over and grasped her shoulder before giving it a squeeze as he chuckled. "It will be good to get Alenko off the ship. He will get rusty if I don't use him." He glanced down at her and Pyjak leaned against the table and looked up at him. 

"You sure your head is alright after your two public Asari sex shows?" Her mouth twitched upwards as she said it and Shepard made a noise of disgust and shoved at her lightly. 

"You're gross." He gave her a look and she grinned up at him proudly. Damn rights. "But I'm feeling better and Chakwas says that I'm good to go. Besides I'm doing it as a favour for Wrex. After this we are hitting Noveria for Liara." At the words Pyjak nodded before gesturing at the table. 

"I'll be here staying out of trouble." She grinned at him wider and he laughed. 

"You know saying it like that doesn't give me much confidence but you are modding so I know you'll make good on that." He patted her shoulder before removing his hand. "I'll see you after we are done down there." He nodded at her and she gave a quick nod back before turning back to her modding pieces and her half drawn schematic. She was aware that Shepard was walking away but she didn't glance at him, her attention back on the polonium mod. She really did need to figure out the best place and piece to base it on. 

She nibbled at her lip as she carefully studied each piece, thinking about just how to get the polonium to inject into the mod before she picked up the firing mechanism and froze. The firing pin engaged with the back of the heat sink, inserting into the heat sink slightly to trigger the internal combustion that would send out the shots. _It went into the heat sink._ She could modify the firing pin to inject the polonium with each shot!

She scrambled and grabbed her half drawn schematics and quickly sketched out a firing mechanism base and then the firing pin itself. She quickly sketched out a rough draft of how the polonium firing mechanism might work and she found herself smiling. She was nearly positive that she had figured it out. She couldn't wait until she told Tali. 

"You look happy." At Garrus' voice her head snapped up and she looked at him. He held the two sniper rifles and she nodded before quickly moving her modding pieces away from the opposite side of the table so he could sit down. 

"I figured out that if I modified the firing mechanism to hold the polonium that I could use it as an injection module to make the heat sink into polonium rounds." She grinned wider at him and he carefully put the rifles down. She quickly put the pistol together and gathered her modding materials up so they didn't take too much room. "So I'm currently super excited because I can start putting together a mock up of the polonium mod. I'm drawing it out right now and based on what I have it should work." She gestured to the roughly sketched out schematic and nearly wiggled in her spot. She loved modding and she was super excited to tell someone about what she had figured out. Tali wasn't here and she figured Garrus was the next best thing. 

"That makes logistical sense." He tilted his head as he looked at the drawing before nodding, his mandibles fluttering out in a slight smile. "If anyone can figure it out, I'm sure you and Tali can." He sat down across from her and lifted up the Viper. "She's a really good weapon but I honestly can't take it. It's worth far too much money." He held it out to her and Pyjak lifted her hands with a quick shake of her head. 

"It's yours." She said it quickly and he stared at her hard before shaking his head. 

"Pyjak, it's too expensive-"

"It was free for me. I've had it since I was sixteen and it's old, Vakarian. I want to mod a new one." That wasn't exactly the truth but seeing how head over heels in love he had been with it, she couldn't take it back. Besides nothing buttered up a turian more than giving them some _very_ nice guns. "I don't use it often and it's more of a pet project of seeing if I can optimize anymore of the firing or power or mods on it. She deserves to be _actually_ used." She hoped he understood but he shook his head, holding it further out over the table. 

"Pyjak, it's too much." At the words she made a face and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I got everyone something last time we were on the Citadel and I forgot about you. Consider it an apology gift." She narrowed her eyes at him and his forehead plates shifted, giving her an incredulous look. 

"You didn't get Alenko a gift either." He stared at her hard and she shook her head. 

"That's different. You won't assume I want to marry you and pop out eighteen kids if I give you a gift. Alenko would." She shook her head, reaching out and pushing the rifle back towards him. "Just take it, Vakarian. I will be super upset and might even cry if you don't. Then you will have to deal with pops and he just might snap off your fringe for it. So let's just skip all of that shit and just have you keep it." She gave him a look and he slowly brought the gun back to his side of the table with a low exhale. 

"No one has ever given me a gift like this aside from my mother." He said it softly before lifting up his other rifle, the one that died on Feros. "She gave me this one when I got into the sniper division during my time at the Academy." He glanced at her, rubbing at the back of his neck and Pyjak quickly pushed everything aside so there was an open space between them. 

"Then let's fix her." She gestured to the rifle and he looked at her with a slow shake of his head. "I know a thing or two about sentimentality, Vakarian. I still have my very first pistol from pops. It's a piece of shit and I have modded dozens more that are far better than it but it's got memories attached to it and I can't handle the thought of getting rid of it." She gestured to the rifle again, meeting his rather lovely blue eyes. "So let's fix her up." 

Slowly but surely he nodded and set the Viper off to the side before grabbing his other rifle. "Thanks, Pyjak..." He gave a small cough and rubbed the back of his neck again, looking altogether too bashful. "It means a lot to me." His neck flushed darker and she grinned at him. 

"That's what friends are for, right?" She said it in a rather upbeat tone and he gave a hesitant nod but a nod none the less. Pyjak watched him pull apart the rifle and carefully checked each piece he put on the table. "Besides if you are too concerned you can just fuck me and call it even." She grinned as he sputtered and his mandibles flared out as he attempted to stutter out a response.

He was just too damn attractive. Even when he was blushing and bashful. Pyjak wanted to shake her head, the poor turian would stutter and stammer himself into her bed. However at this rate he would probably have a heart attack first.

She laughed at him, shaking her head. "I'm _kidding_ , big guy." 


End file.
